Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: New+York+rangers
Chris Kreider signs deal with Blueshirts, Per Bob McKenzie
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/10/12 at 04:09 PM ET
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From the Twitter account of the great Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie:
Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
Correction: Kreider deal is 3 years. Becomes 2 years after burning first year by reporting tomorrow. My mistake.
14m Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
Kreider not getting any signing bonus this season and/or salary for playoffs but will get some Games Played bonuses for this playoff.
16m Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
Kreider will join NYR at practice tomorrow. Eligible to play in the playoffs. Burns 1st of his 2 year entry level contract by showing up.
21m Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
NYR and Chris Kreider have agreed to terms on an entry-level contract.
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Tags: Bob+McKenzie, Chris+Kreider, New+York+Rangers,
New York Rangers Postseason Schedule
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/08/12 at 01:10 PM ET
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From NHL.com:
2012 EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
SERIES A TIME (ET) #1 vs. #8 Networks
Thursday, April 12, 2012 7 p.m. Ottawa at NY Rangers NHL Network, CBC
Saturday, April 14, 2012 7 p.m. Ottawa at NY Rangers NBC Sports Network, CBC
Monday, April 16, 2012 7:30 p.m. NY Rangers at Ottawa CBC, CNBC
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 7:30 p.m. NY Rangers at Ottawa CBC, CNBC
*Saturday, April 21, 2012 7 p.m. Ottawa at NY Rangers NBC Sports Network, CBC
*Monday, April 23, 2012 TBD NY Rangers at Ottawa TBD
*Thursday, April 26, 2012 TBD Ottawa at NY Rangers TBD
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators,
Not the way to Go Into the Postseason
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/08/12 at 11:09 AM ET
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While it is great that the New York Rangers finished first in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, last night’s performance against the Washington Capitals in a 4-1 loss at Madison Square Garden is not acceptable.
In the first period, the team was irresponsible on defense and got some questionable goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, which led to a 3-0 deficit after the first period. Lundqvist did not look like himself between the pipes as the first goal he allowed to Capitals’ team captain Alex Ovechkin should have been stopped and on the Capitals’ third goal, he looked completely lost.
The team’s first period ultimately took the team out of the hockey game. This was a game that the Rangers could have used to go into the postseason on a high note and as Presidents’ Trophy winners but simply put, it was not meant to be for the Blueshirts last night.
On a positive note, the team was able to create several good scoring opportunities on Capitals’ netminder Braden Holtby but Holtby was more than up to the task in making 35 saves. The Capitals’ will need more goaltending like that from Holtby if they want to beat the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Braden+Holtby, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Washington+Capitals,
Move On and Focus
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/06/12 at 11:37 AM ET
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There really is not too much to say regarding the New York Rangers’ 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last night.
Yes, we can easily rehash Penguins’ defenseman Brooks Orpik’s hit on Derek Stepan and also what Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella had to say about it. With that said, it does not make sense to go over it again as we all know what was done and what was said and we all have an opinion on it.
Instead, it is time to shift our focus to the last regular season game tomorrow night against the Washington Capitals. The Capitals managed to clinch a playoff spot last night with a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers and are just two points behind the Panthers for the top spot in the Southeast Division.
The Capitals will play hard tomorrow night to try and clinch the division and home ice in the first round of the playoffs. This is a team that knows how to put the puck in the net, even though they have not done enough of that this season.
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Tags: Brooks+Orpik, Derek+Stepan, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Washington+Capitals,
Update/Rangers Set to take on the Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/05/12 at 09:51 AM ET
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UPDATE: According to Pat Leonard of the Daily News, Martin Biron will be in goal tonight for the Blueshirts:
Same #NYR lineup, Martin Biron in net vs #Pens. So Mike Rupp stays in.
FROM EARLIER
While the New York Rangers have already clinched the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, the team still has two games left against two solid hockey clubs.
Tonight, the Blueshirts will be in Pittsburgh to take on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. While the game has little significance for both clubs, it should still end up being a good hockey game between two clubs that are looking to get their game in order before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin next week.
It will be interesting to see who the Rangers go with in goal as starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist has a bruised right arm after hurting it against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. After the game, he said he had trouble gripping the stick so if I am the Blueshirts, I would not hesitate to start back-up goaltender Martin Biron tonight.
Against the Penguins tonight, the Rangers should focus on shutting down both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Going into the playoffs, the Penguins will more than likely be the top offensive hockey club and if the Blueshirts can find a way to shut them down tonight, it will certainly be a confidence boost heading into the postseason.
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Tags: Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Top Spot in the Division and Conference
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/04/12 at 11:03 AM ET
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That is what the 2011-12 New York Rangers are in terms of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference this season.
With their 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers last night, the Blueshirts clinched the top spot in both their division and conference for the first time since 1994. Yes, we all know what happened that year but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
The Blueshirts jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period last night and never really looked back. Sure, they allowed the Flyers to score 3 goals and yes, Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist certainly had to come up big but for the most part, this game was won in the first period.
The team got solid performances from Marian Gaborik (1 goal and 1 assist), Ryan McDonagh (1 goal and 1 assist), Brad Richards (2 assists) and Lundqvist (37 saves on 40 shots). The other usual suspects such as Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and Brian Boyle also put forth solid efforts in the clinching victory.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Can Clinch Tonight in Philly
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/03/12 at 11:19 AM ET
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If there was ever a chance for the New York Rangers to upset the Philadelphia Flyers and their fans, tonight is the perfect opportunity.
Tonight, the Blueshirts will take on the Flyers in Philadelphia and should the Rangers win, they will clinch both the top spot in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. While the Flyers really had no chance at either, it will still more than likely be a bit of a snipe at both the team and its fans.
The Flyers are coming off an emotional and hard-hitting 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. There was a bunch of fisticuffs, including one that resulted in Flyers’ head coach Peter Laviolette being fined $10,000 due to his spat with Penguins’ assistant coach Tony Granato.
The Rangers’ are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins. It was a game in which the Rangers’ could have won if not for the great effort of Bruins’ netminder Tim Thomas.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers, Peter+Laviolette, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tim+Thomas, Tony+granato,
Rangers Can’t Find Tying Goal in 2-1 Loss to the Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/02/12 at 09:02 AM ET
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With a chance to clinch first place in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference last night at Madison Square Garden against the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers could not find the equalizer in the third period in a 2-1 loss.
The Blueshirts fired 19 shots at Bruins’ netminder Tim Thomas in the third period but Thomas turned them all aside. The Bruins’ battling goaltender finished the game with 33 saves and even Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella said that Thomas was the difference in the hockey game.
This felt like a playoff game for both clubs. There was lots of hitting, lots of blocked shots, and timely goal scoring in what could end up being a playoff match-up later on in the spring.
The loss snapped the Rangers’ four game winning streak as well as chance to clinch the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. On the other side, the Bruins clinched their third Northeast Division title in the last four years with the victory and will end up facing the No. 7 team in the conference in the first round.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tim+Thomas,
I was fooled/Rangers to start Playoffs Away from Home?
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/01/12 at 01:55 PM ET
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UPDATE: Folks, Rangers’ beat writer Rick Carpiniello pulled a fast one on us and on me. This was an April Fools Day joke so please disregard. I apologize for being the fool on this!
From Rick Carpiniello at The Rangers Report:
Because of Knicks games that can’t be moved in a condensed NBA season, a contract for a concert series which Madison Square Garden cannot break, and pressure from NBC Sports to alternate Rangers games and Flyers-Penguins games in the first round of the playoffs, word is starting to leak out of a potentially drastic step.
The Rangers are considering giving the OK to the NHL to start their first-round series with two games on the road, despite earning the home-ice advantage. The league and the Rangers are negotiating a scenario in which the Rangers would play the first two games on the road, then come home for three consecutive Garden games, go on the road for a Game 6 if necessary, and have home ice again for Game 7.
The league has spoken to one of the teams fighting for the No. 8 spot and of course has gotten the OK from that team, though it’s not clear if that was Washington, Buffalo, Ottawa or Florida.
What do you Rangers’ fans out there think of this?
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Rangers+Report+Blog, Rick+Carpiniello,
A Chance to Clinch the East Against the Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/01/12 at 11:50 AM ET
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Coming into the season, not many hockey pundits and fans alike knew what to expect of the New York Rangers.
Tonight, their questions could be answered. If the Rangers manage to beat the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden tonight and the Philadelphia Flyers manage to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins this afternoon, the team will finish the season as the No.1 team in the Eastern Conference.
The Blueshirts have won four straight games and come into tonight’s game as Atlantic Division leaders, Eastern Conference leaders and tied for first in the entire NHL. The team is starting to get consistent goal-scoring, Henrik Lundqvist is starting to look like himself in goal again and the team’s power play is starting click.
The Rangers also come into tonight’s tilt looking to sweep the season series against the Bruins. The team has won five straight games against their Original-Six rival and has won 9 of their last 11 games against the Bruins as well.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Rangers Continue To Roll
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/30/12 at 10:13 PM ET
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They may have already clinched a playoff spot and they may have somewhat of a tight grip on the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference but the New York Rangers are on a roll right now.
Tonight, the team won its 50th game of the year by beating the struggling Montreal Canadiens by a score of 4-1 at Madison Square Garden. The team got another strong performance out of both Marian Gaborik (1 goal and 1 assist) and Brad Richards (1 goal and 2 assists) while also getting the goaltending they needed from Henrik Lundqvist (19 saves on 20 shots).
Gaborik and Richards are on fire at the right time for their hockey club. Gaborik picked up his 39th goal of the season and added an assist while Richards added his 25th goal of the season as well as two assists.
It may have taken a long time for Gaborik and Richards to work well together on the same line but it just goes to show you that patience is everything in the NHL. Yes, Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella broke the pair up earlier in the season but was smart enough to put them together later on when their games were both going strong.
Another Rangers’ player who is on fire, believe it or not, is defenseman Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto picked-up 2 goals (his first 2-goal game of his career) and an assist and now has 10 goals and 31 assists for 41 points on the season.
While his defensive game still needs some work, Del Zotto has had a terrific bounce back season for the Blueshirts this year. He looks a lot more confident with the puck and his offensive game looks much like it did in his first season in the league back in 2009-10.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Steven+McDonald+Extra+Effort+Award,
Rangers Set to Take on The Canadiens
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/30/12 at 12:37 PM ET
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Things are certainly in flux when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens these days.
Their GM was fired yesterday, their head coach will more than likely be gone after the season and the team is currently in last place in the entire Eastern Conference. Not so rosy, right?
This should be good news to the New York Rangers as they look to build up on their five point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins for first in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference when they take on the Canadiens tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Blueshirts are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are on a three game winning streak heading into tonight’s tilt.
The Rangers are coming off a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, a game in which they showed their never say die style. The team came back from a 2-0 deficit and scored four unanswered goals to win the hockey game.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Winnipeg+Jets,
King of The Hill
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/28/12 at 10:04 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers are tonight after their 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg.
This was a gutsy performance by a team that never quits. Tonight, the Blueshirts came back from a 2-0 deficit on goals by defenseman Michael Del Zotto (1 goal and 1 assist) and team captain Ryan Callahan (1 goal and 1 assist).
After that, it was the team’s scoring depth that took over the game. Brian Boyle (1 goal) scored the game-winning goal just over three minutes into the third period followed by a power play goal from Derek Stepan (1 goal).
It is performances like tonight that the Blueshirts are going to need if they want to succeed in the postseason. There could be nights when the likes of Marian Gaborik (2 assists) Brad Richards (1 assist) and even Callahan (1 goal and 1 assist) are shut down so when that happens, the team’s scoring depth needs to step up and take care of business.
Speaking of taking care of business, Rangers’ starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist did that tonight by stopping 22 of 24 shots for his 38th victory of the season. It was his 250th career win, which puts him tied for 44th on the all-time wins list by a netminder with the legendary Johnny Bower.
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Tags: Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Johnny+Bower, Michael+Del+Zotto, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Winnipeg+Jets,
Just Win Hockey Games
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/27/12 at 04:18 PM ET
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With the Minnesota Wild out of the Western Conference playoff hunt, the New York Rangers will look to go “wild” in Minnesota tonight and pick-up the two points that they need to keep pace in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
With no signs of slowing down, the Pittsburgh Penguins look like the team to beat in the NHL right now. They are just one point behind the Blueshirts for first in the division and conference and their next two games are against the New York Islanders.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The win helped the Rangers get over the 100-point mark for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
According to Andrew Gross of The Record, Rangers’ starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will make his sixth straight start. Lundqvist has not looked like himself between the pipes over the last few weeks so it is important that team head coach John Tortorella gives him a chance to get his game in order before the postseason begins.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, The+Record, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Finding Ways to Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/25/12 at 02:23 PM ET
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That has been the story for the New York Rangers all season long and has led them to the top spot not only in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, but also in the entire National Hockey League.
The Blueshirts proved once again last night that they can find ways to win without having their best stuff in a 4-3 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. It certainly was not their prettiest game but it was one in which they picked-up two more points to stay ahead of the charging Pittsburgh Penguins in the division and Conference.
Last night, the Blueshirts got a great performance from their leading scorer Marian Gaborik. Gaborik scored two goals (36 and 37) and was dominant offensively for his hockey club.
The team also got another solid performance out of Brad Richards. Richards picked-up two assists and also set up Gaborik’s terrific second goal of the game.
Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist made enough saves to give his team a chance to win a hockey game. He was not at his best and once again allowed three goals but made some great saves late in the third period and in the shootout to pick-up his 35th victory of the season.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, St.+Louis+Blues, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Winnipeg+Jets,
Not Making It Easy on Themselves
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/24/12 at 11:02 AM ET
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The New York Rangers are certainly doing that when it comes to the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference lead as the team dropped a 4-1 game to the Buffalo Sabres last night at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts ran into outstanding goaltending in Ryan Miller as Miller turned away 26 of 27 shots. With the win, the Sabres are now tied in points with the Washington Capitals, who currently hold down the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference.
With the loss, the Rangers now hold just a one point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins and a five point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. And with all three teams playing tonight, picking up two points against the Toronto Maple Leafs is a must if the Rangers want to hold onto the top spot.
The Rangers did not play terribly last night. They generated plenty of scoring opportunities but just could not put one behind Miller when it counted.
The team’s best player last night was defenseman Ryan McDonagh. There is no doubt that McDonagh has plenty of offensive ability and soon enough, fans are going to be able to see that on a regular basis.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Henrik+Lundqvist, Mats+Zuccarello, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+McDonagh, Ryan+Miller, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Washington+Capitals,
Looking to Close Out the Homestand with a Win Against the Sabres
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/23/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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Prior to the 7-game homestand, the New York Rangers knew that it would be a great opportunity to really establish home ice before the postseason and pick-up some points to help build on their Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings lead.
In six games so far, the Blueshirts have gone 4-2. The team has beat the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings while losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche.
Tonight’s game between the Rangers and Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden is an important one for both clubs. For the Rangers, it is an opportunity to go back to being three points ahead of the Penguins as the Penguins beat the Nashville Predators last night by a score of 5-1.
For the Sabres, it is an opportunity to get two huge points to put them in the top eight in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres have been playing playoff hockey for the last month or so and have really turned their season around after a rough few months and after last night’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Penguins, the Sabres can move into the eighth spot over the Washington Capitals with a win.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brian+Boyle, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Colorado+Avalanche, Derek+Stepan, Detroit+Red+Wings, Marian+Gaborik, Nashville+Predators, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Washington+Capitals,
One Point Closer to the 100-point mark
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/22/12 at 10:08 AM ET
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Due to having a men’s league hockey game last night, I was not able to catch any of the New York Rangers 2-1 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings last night at Madison Square Garden..
Based on the highlights I did manage to see, I know that Rangers’ forward Brad Richards scored a nice first period goal and that team captain Ryan Callahan scored his 27th goal of the season on his 27th birthday in overtime to give his team a much needed two points. Both of these players continue to produce for their hockey club and come playoff time, that could end up going a long way.
What I can tell you is that based on the way the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing right now, the Blueshirts are going to need to continue to pick-up points in the standings. The Penguins are easily the league’s hottest team right now and are clicking on all cylinders.
The Rangers will be back in action tomorrow night to close out their homestand against the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are currently tied with the Washington Capitals for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference so you know that they are going to be fighting hard to win the hockey game tomorrow night at MSG.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Buffalo+Sabres, Detroit+Red+Wings, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Looking For More Points
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/21/12 at 10:40 AM ET
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The New York Rangers will be doing just that tonight at Madison Square Garden when they take on the Detroit Red Wings.
The Blueshirts are coming off a playoff-clinching 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night. The team played tough, got timely scoring and played solid on defense.
Even though the team clinched a spot, this is not the time to slow things down. After crushing the Winnipeg Jets last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins are just one point behind the Rangers for first in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
Luckily, this Red Wings’ hockey club is not playing their best right now. The team is struggling with injuries up and down the lineup and is 3-6-1 in their last 10 games.
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Tags: Detroit+Red+Wings, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Winnipeg+Jets,
A Great View of the Opening Face-Off Craziness at MSG
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/20/12 at 09:30 AM ET
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From Mike Ross at NHL Home Ice:
Hockey fights though, never seemed that gratuitous because of what I’d been sold for years:
- Hockey fights breed accountability
- Hockey fights do not result in anyone getting hurt
- Hockey fights happen because of the passion in the game
- Hockey fights are necessary so players have a way to vent frustrationAnd for years, I bought it…much the same way my parents smoked for most of my childhood without ever giving a second thought to the effects of second-hand smoke. How were they supposed to know? It was never drilled into them.
But when I saw 3 scraps of the opening faceoff between the Rangers and Devils on Monday (the 2nd time there have been multiple fights off the start of a game between these two teams), I tried to understand which of the above criteria were met.
Click here for more from Rossy.
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Tags: Mike+Ross, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, NHL+Home+Ice,
Rangers Clinch Playoff Spot With 4-2 Win Over the Devils
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/20/12 at 08:48 AM ET
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While the first three seconds of the hockey game between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils provided a lot of theatrics, it all ended up meaning very little for the rest of the game as the Rangers went onto to clinch a playoff spot by beating the Devils by a score of 4-2.
For the first since the 2005-06 season, the Blueshirts managed to clinch a playoff spot with a few weeks to go in the season. While the team will now play for seeding, all that matters is that they have advanced to hockey’s “second season” and will have the chance to play for hockey’s Holy Grail come April.
The game may have not been pretty for either squad but in the end, the Rangers were able to get the job done with timely goal scoring. Brandon Dubinsky got the team going just over a minute after the three fights in the beginning of the first period to give the team a 1-0 lead.
Defenseman Dan Girardi scored 33 seconds into the second period to put the Rangers’ up 2-0. While the Devils would get one back to cut the lead to 2-1, Blueshirts’ forward Mats Zuccarello would put one in on the power play to give the team a 3-1 lead.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
Step It Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/19/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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The New York Rangers need to do that with their play tonight against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden.
After all the hockey action this weekend, the Rangers are just now one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Atlantic Division- and Eastern Conference- lead. Oh yeah, the Philadelphia Flyers are not playing too badly either as they are now just three points behind the Blueshirts.
The Blueshirts are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche over the weekend. The team fired 42 shots at Avalanche netminder Semyon Varlamov but Varly was tremendous in turning aside 41 of them.
With that said, and it has been mentioned before, this Rangers’ team needs more offense. Right now, the only line that is producing is the Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin line. Other than that trio, the offense has been extremely quiet.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Colorado+Avalanche, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Semyon+Varlamov,
Varlamov Steals One at MSG
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/17/12 at 09:40 PM ET
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Sometimes, all a hockey team needs to win a game is good goaltending.
That is exactly what the Colorado Avalanche got tonight from their netminder Semyon Varlamov in a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers. Varlamov stymied the Blueshirts in making 41 saves on the night.
Varlamov was calm, cool, and collected in between the pipes tonight for his hockey club. He was able to control rebounds, had an excellent glove hand, recovered to make second and third stops and was the main reason why the Avalanche won tonight.
For the first time in the last few weeks, the Rangers were getting offense from all of their lines. No one was afraid to shoot the puck tonight, the team crashed the net but unfortunately, were only able to beat Varlamov once on 42 shots.
While it was the team’s second straight loss, one that has allowed the Pittsburgh Penguins to stay two points behind the Blueshirts after beating the New Jersey Devils this afternoon, there were some other good things to come out of this game for the Rangers. For starters, a healthy Ryan Callahan and Michael Del Zotto returned to the lineup. Callahan was his usual self while Del Zotto tried to help add some more offense to the team.
Secondly, the team got a good performance out of their starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist allowed just two goals on 19 shots and played well enough to give his club a chance to win a hockey game.
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Tags: Colorado+Avalanche, Henrik+Lundqvist+Mats+Zuccarello, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Semyon+Varlamov,
Get it Back
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/17/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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The New York Rangers need to find a way to get back their consistent hockey and a win tonight against the Colorado Avalanche would be a great start.
The Blueshirts are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a game that with fewer defensive lapses and more offense from players other than Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, and Carl Hagelin, the team could have come away with a win.
With that said, this is an extremely inconsistent hockey club right. The club’s goals against has gone up, there seems to be more holes in the defensive zone and the team is having trouble generating offense from three of its four lines.
Due to these past few weeks, the Rangers find themselves just four points up on the Penguins in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. Now that Crosby is back for the Penguins and with the team riding a 10-game winning streak, the race might become that much tighter down the stretch.
Tonight, the Rangers will face an Avalanche hockey club that is currently in a battle to hold onto one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference. The team has been playing playoff hockey for the last few months and is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Colorado+Avalanche, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Blueshirts Overpowered by the Penguins in 5-2 loss
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/12 at 09:54 PM ET
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Going into the game without starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, defenseman Michael Del Zotto and team captain Ryan Callahan, one knew tonight’s game against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden was going to be tough for the New York Rangers.
It was certainly tough for the Blueshirts as the team lost by a score of 5-2. The club did not have the depth to match what the Penguins were throwing out on the ice and unfortunately, it hurt them in the end.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain and arguably the best hockey player in the world, Sidney Crosby, had himself a solid first game back. Crosby picked-up an assist, was a +3 and had 16:00 minutes of ice time. He was also smart enough not to put himself into dangerous areas as to avoid getting hit too hard or being too vulnerable.
The Rangers were not terrible tonight but they certainly were not great. Defensive lapses early on in the second period really hurt the club as the Penguins were able to score two goals with the first 2:30 of the frame to go up by a score of 3-1.
The Blueshirts were able to cut the lead to 3-2 on a goal by Marian Gaborik but that would be the last time the team would find the back of the net tonight.
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Tags: and+Buffalo+Sabres., Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Colorado+Avalanche, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby,
One to Remember?/UPDATE: Biron to Start Tonight for Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/12 at 01:19 PM ET
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UPDATE: According to Dave Lozo at NHL.com, Rangers’ back-up netminder Martin Biron will be starting tonight against Crosby and the Penguins as Henrik Lundqvist is still recovering from the flu.
“I was hoping to play tonight, but being off the ice for three days, I had a feeling it might be tough to be game-ready right away,” said Lundqvist, who took part in the team’s morning practice but won’t dress for the game. “There’s no health issue. It’s just sitting at home doing nothing. Just laying in bed for two days doesn’t really help.”
FROM EARLIER
This is what many hockey folks are wondering when it comes to tonight’s tilt between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.
For starters, it is both a divisional- and conference- battle. The Blueshirts currently hold a six point lead over the Penguins as the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
On the other side, the Penguins have won nine straight games. Their team is getting contributions up and down the lineup and have done so without their team captain and arguably the best player in the world today, Sidney Crosby.
That brings us to our next point. Tonight’s tilt marks the return of No.87 to the Penguins’ lineup. Rangers’ fans have made it well known how they feel about Crosby and as such, will more than likely be all over him throughout tonight’s game.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+york+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Gaborik-Richards-Hagelin Line Gets it Done in Win Over Hurricanes
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/13/12 at 10:06 PM ET
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When it comes to the National Hockey League, there have been many get trios when it comes to offensive lines.
While they may not be considered great right now, the New York Rangers’ line of Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, and Carl Hagelin sure got it done for their hockey club tonight in the team’s 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden.
The trio combined for a terrific 9 points. Richards, who looks like a brand new player out there, had two goals and three assists. After tonight’s tilt, Richards has 23 goals and 30 assists for 53 points, good for second on the club.
Gaborik, who continues to contribute to the Rangers’ offense on a nightly basis, had a goal and two assists. With his three point performance, Gaborik now has 34 goals (3rd in the league) and 30 assists for 64 points, good for tops on the team.
Hagelin, the rookie, is showing just what kind of offensive ability he has by playing with two of the team’s top two forwards. Hagelin picked up a goal and two assists and now has 32 points (13 goals and 20 assists).
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Cam+Ward, Carl+Hagelin, Carolina+Hurricanes, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
UPDATE: Biron to start tonight/Focus on the Now
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/13/12 at 04:34 PM ET
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UPDATE: According to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants, New York Rangers’ back-up goaltender Martin Biron will start tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes while starter Henrik Lundqvist is out with the flu.
From Earlier
This is what the New York Rangers need to do when it comes to tonight’s game with the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden.
It would be very easy for the Blueshirts to simply forget about tonight and turn their attention to Thursday night’s tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With Sidney Crosby announcing that he will definitely be in the lineup for that game, it would be even easier to do so.
With that said, the team must continue to take things one game at a time. The Rangers are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders on Sunday night and hopefully, will use it as a start of another winning streak.
In order to get back on the winning track, Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist needs to find the consistency that has made the league’s top goaltender this year. Lundqvist has allowed 13 goals in his last four games, something that I am sure lundqvist will try and remedy quickly.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+york+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
A Win is a Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/12/12 at 09:03 AM ET
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That is exactly what can be said of last night’s 4-3 overtime win by the New York Rangers over the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden.
While the Rangers were/are on top of both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, last night’s game was one that the Rangers needed to get two points in order to distance themselves from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who visit the Rangers and MSG on Thursday. The team was able to do so by getting big performances from their two big offensive players in Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik.
Richards had three points last night on two goals (his 20th and 21st of the season) and an assist. His goals are the perfect example of what happens when you put the puck on net and what he can do with the puck.
Gaborik’s 33rd goal of the season came when the Rangers needed it the most and that was in overtime. It was his seventh game winning goal of the season and one that helped the Blueshirts get back on the winning track.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
No Callahan and Del Zotto Tonight for Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/11/12 at 01:47 PM ET
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From Joe Yerdon at Pro Hockey Talk:
Captain Ryan Callahan and starting defenseman Michael Del Zotto will both miss tonight’s game against the Islanders with separate ailments. For Del Zotto, he’s still dealing with the hip injury that kept him out of action last week and kept him out of New York’s loss to Chicago on Friday. Callahan is still being bothered by the foot injury he suffered when blocking a shot two weeks ago. Callahan is one of the team’s top offensive weapons and when going without him has made life harder on the team.
On the upside, Brandon Dubinsky will play tonight. Dubinsky was having issues after getting hurt in a fight recently. Meanwhile, the Rangers called up offensive wizard Mats Zuccarello from the AHL. Zuccarello has 36 points in 37 games for the Connecticut Whale this season. Should the Rangers need help in the shootout, Zuccarello has the moves to help give them an edge.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Mats+Zuccarello, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
A Must Win for the Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/11/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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This is exactly what tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden between the New York York Rangers and New York Islanders is for the Blueshirts.
For the first time this season, the Rangers are in the midst of a three game losing streak in regulation. This past week, the Blueshirts lost to the New Jersey Devils (4-1), Ottawa Senators (4-1) and Chicago Blackhawks.
Because of the losing streak, the Rangers are just four points up on the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team they will meet on Thursday at MSG. If the Rangers continue to play they are playing right now, Thursday night’s tilt with the Penguins could end up meaning even more than it already does.
However, it is time for the team to focus on tonight’s meeting with the Islanders. It will be the last meeting between the two clubs with the Rangers holding the edge in the season series at 3-1-1.
They may not be in a playoff spot but the Islanders are definitely competing every night. They work hard, they forecheck and they make life extremely tough for opponents, something the Blueshirts will have to deal with tonight.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chicago+Blackhawks, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Big Game at The Mad House on Madison
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/09/12 at 02:10 PM ET
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With the New York Rangers struggling to find the consistency that made them so successful for much of the season, tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks will be a big test for the Blueshirts.
In last night’s 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, the team looked out-of-sync in all areas of the game. This also happened to be the case in the team’s 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.
For the Rangers, this is coming at a bad time as both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference playoff race is heating up. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who will have Sidney Crosby returning in the very near future, are now just 6 points behind the Blueshirts while the Philadelphia Flyers are 8 points behind thanks to the fine play of their netminder Ilya Bryzgalov (finally, eh?).
The team needs to get back to forechecking better, something that Rangers’ forward Marian Gaborik mentioned to team beat writer Andrew Gross of The Record and Ranger Rants.
“I think so,” he said. “The support needs to be there. We have to create more forechecking in the zone. Also, we have to try to chip pucks in and create more odd-man situations.”
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Bryzgalov, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Original+Six, Ottawa+Senators, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby, United+Center,
What is Going on with Biron and the Blueshirts?
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/08/12 at 10:02 PM ET
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This is something that has to be asked after the New York Rangers lost to the Ottawa Senators tonight by a score of 4-1 .
Tonight, Rangers’ back-up goaltender Martin Biron allowed three goals, two on four shots in the first period, and did not look too comfortable out there. While I said earlier that it was smart to start Biron against the Senators tonight rather than the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, I now wonder why the team did not start Henrik Lundqvist in tonight’s inter-conference game and have Biron go in the non-conference game.
Anyways, in his last six games, Biron has lost two games in regulation, lost two games in overtime and has allowed 18 goals. While he did manage to win two games in this six game span (Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning), he has looked shaky, allowed a few soft goals and has lost games that the Rangers probably could have won with Lundqvist between the pipes.
This is not to take anything away from what Biron has accomplished this season. He is 11-4-2 and has pretty decent stats for a back-up goaltender in the NHL. With that said, it would be nice if he could play a bit better so that may be team head coach John Tortorella can have the option of resting Lundqvist a few more games before the team enters the postseason.
While Biron was not great against the Senators tonight, neither was the rest of the Rangers’ hockey club. Ryan Callahan, who scored his 26th goal of the season tonight in the first period, played well as did Artem Anisimov. Unfortunately for the Rangers, no one else on the team followed suit.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chicago+Blackhawks, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Biron to Start Tonight/Other line-up Updates
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/08/12 at 02:11 PM ET
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According to Andrew Gross, the New York Rangers’ beat writer/blogger for The Record and Ranger Rants blog, the Blueshirts have elected to go with Martin Biron in goal tonight to face the Ottawa Senators.
This sounds like the right decision considering that the Rangers take on the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night. Remember, the Blackhawks scorched Biron and the Rangers in their previous meeting by a score of 4-2 so putting starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist in sounds like the right thing to do.
Gross also said that Rangers’ forward Brandon Dubinsky will not be in the lineup tonight due to sinus issues he is experiencing that could impact his skating. Dubinsky also said he still has some pain in his hand from the fight he had with New Jersey Devils’ forward David Clarkson on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center:
Brandon Dubinsky will not be in the lineup tonight against the Senators as he tells the media he is still having sinus issues that could affect his skating. Dubinsky said his hand hurts as well after fighting the Devils’ Ryan Carter on Tuesday. Dubinsky was holding nasal spray and also appeared to have stitches on his nose. Considering the Rangers do not have a morning skate tomorrow in Chicago, it’s very likely he’ll also miss the Blackhawks’ game.
Dubinsky also reported he’s been having trouble sleeping as a result of his injured nose.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Brandon+Dubinsky, Chicago+Blackhawks, David+Clarkson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ranger+Rants, The+Record,
Time to Step Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/08/12 at 10:09 AM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers need to do as they prepare for three games in four night’s starting tonight with the Ottawa Senators.
There is no doubt that the Blueshirts have been inconsistent of late. They have allowed at least three goals or more in their last three games and clearly did not play well against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center.
The Ottawa Senators have given the Rangers’ some trouble this season and are currently one point behind the 6th place Devils. They have a powerful offense that is dangerous and knows how to put the puck in the net.
With that in mind, the Rangers will need to get their defense back in order in a hurry. Again, 13 goals allowed in the last four games will not win you any games in this league.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Chicago+Blackhawks, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
The Need to Wake-Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/07/12 at 02:25 PM ET
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If the New York Rangers want to have any kind of success this upcoming spring, they will need to do just that.
In last night’s 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils, the team looked like they were sleep walking. They put 23 shots on Devils’ netminder Martin Brodeur while giving far too many scoring chances to the Devils as guys like Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrik Elias, and David Clarkson (empty net) were able to strut their stuff in front of Blueshirts’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist.
Things are not going to get any easier for the Blueshirts. Tomorrow night, the club will take on the Ottawa Senators and then the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago on Friday night before coming home to take on the New York Islanders at Madison square Garden on Sunday night to kick off a 7-game homestand.
This is not the time for the Blueshirts to take their foots off the gas. While they may have somewhat of a comfortable lead in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, now is not the time to be inconsistent and for the most part, the team has been inconsistent over the last few weeks.
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Ilya+Kovalchuk, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Patrik+Elias,
Going Over the Hudson
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/06/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers will be doing tonight as the travel across the Hudson River to take on the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.
These two clubs last met last Monday at Madison Square Garden, where the Blueshirts took care of business and shutout the Devils by a 2-0 score. It was not the most exciting game as there was only 28 combined shots.
The Blueshirts are coming off a big 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon at MSG. The team continues to get goal scoring from Marian Gaborik (32 goals on the season) and excellent goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, both of which have contributed greatly to the Rangers’ success this season.
Going forward, those two will have to continue to play better but others must step up and contribute a bit more. There is no doubt that Brad Richards can create scoring chances and setup teammates (27 assists).
With that said, it would be nice to see him do that on a more consistent basis as well as putting the puck in the net a bit more. Yes, Richards has 18 goals and yes, 7 of them have been game winners but this team needs to see a bit more goals from him if they want to have success in the postseason.
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Tags: Anders+Nilsson, Boston+Bruins, Brad+Ricahrds, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, Madison+Square+Garden, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Prudential+Center,
Rangers Win Wild One Against Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/04/12 at 03:42 PM ET
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Going into the afternoon tilt, one probably thought it was going to be a defensive battle for 60 minutes.
Instead, 7 goals were scored with the New York Rangers coming out on top over the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-3. It was not easy but the Rangers did what they had to do to win.
For starters, the team was able to get two big ones in the first period on goals by Ruslan Fedotenko and Carl Hagelin. The goals came 1:10 apart as the team took advantage of a somewhat tired Bruins hockey club coming off a 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders yesterday afternoon at the TD Garden.
However, Bruins’ head coach Claude Julien called a timeout after the second Blueshirts’ goal and did not say a word. Sometimes, silence really is golden.
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Tags: Benoit+Pouliot, Boston+Bruins, Carl+Hagelin, Claude+Julien, Dennis+Seidenberg, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jordan+Caron, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Tim+Thomas,
Big Game on Tap for Blueshirts Against The Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/04/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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That is the case this afternoon for the New York Rangers as they get set to take on the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night in Tampa. The Rangers were able to come away with a point because Brandon Dubinsky scored the game-tying goal with 3:27 to play in the third period.
Up until that goal, it had been an up and down performance for the Blueshirts. They were able to generate several good scoring opportunities, get goals from the likes of Artem Anisimov, Marian Gaborik and Dubinsky while also getting a solid game from Henrik Lundqvist (27 saves) on his birthday.
With that said, the team was a bit inconsistent defensively and allowed the Lightning to get into the slot way too often and force the puck in on Lundqvist. In fact, the Rangers were outshot by a 13-3 margin in the opening period.
This afternoon against the Bruins, the Rangers will go up against a much bigger team with grittier forwards. The Bruins like to throw pucks on the net from anywhere and crash for rebounds, something that the Blueshirts need to try and prevent this afternoon.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Three In a Row for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/01/12 at 09:47 PM ET
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With starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist given the night off, and team captain Ryan Callahan, out day-to-day with a bruised foot, back-up goaltender Martin Biron needed to give the New York Rangers a strong start against the Carolina Hurricanes, especially considering the way he had played in his last few starts.
As it turned out, Biron came up big for the Blueshirts in a 3-2 victory in Carolina. After allowing the Hurricanes’ only goal of the game in the second period, Biron really shut the door and played a solid game in making 21 saves.
For Biron, it was his 11th win of the season. In 17 games, Biron is now 11-3-2 and continues to show team head coach John Tortorella that it is okay to rest Lundqvist.
The team also got a solid performance out of the Marian Gaborik, Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov line. Gaborik picked-up his 30th goal of the season as well as an assist for points 54 and 55 on the season. Stepan also had a strong game in adding two assists while Anisimov scored his 12th goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1 in the second period.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Carolina+Hurricanes, Daniel+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, Steven+Stamkos, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Going to Carolina
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/01/12 at 10:39 AM ET
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The New York Rangers will be in Raleigh tonight to take on the Carolina Hurricanes as the team looks to extend its winning streak to three games.
The Blueshirts are coming off a 2-0 shutout win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The team allowed just 13 shots in Henrik Lundqvist’s eighth shutout of the season, which is just two more than their lowest recorded total on home ice back in 1981 against the Calgary Flames when they only allowed 11 shots.
It will be important for the team to play a full 60-minutes as things do not get any easier for the Blueshirts heading into the stretch. They take on the Hurricanes tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night and the Boston Bruins at MSG on Sunday afternoon.
Luckily for the Blueshirts, this team has played as a cohesive unit all season long. They battle for each other, they stick up for each other, they play together as a team and because of this, have been one of the league’s top teams all year.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Calgary+Flames, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Not the Most Exciting But a Win Is A Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/28/12 at 10:14 AM ET
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This is exactly what can be said of last night’s 2-0 shutout by the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden.
The team’s combined for just 28 shots on goal (yes, you read that right) with only two finding the back of the net. Luckily, it was the Blueshirts that found the back of the net on goals by Carl Hagelin and Ryan Callahan.
Callahan and Hagelin have become quite the dynamic duo for the Rangers since being put on the same line. They both hustle, they both forecheck, they both go hard to the net and they both have the offensive ability to create offense.
With his goal last night, Callahan now has 25 on the season. While Callahan was a scorer in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Guelph Storm, no one was quite sure what he would be able at the NHL level. Now, it looks like he may be able to crack the 30-goal mark.
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Tags: Carl+Hagelin, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Kovalchuk, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Rangers Quiet/Ready for Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/27/12 at 03:53 PM ET
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It appears that the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone for the New York Rangers, with the team having acquired defenseman John Scott from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick.
So now, the Blueshirts will go forward with the team they currently have as team general manager Glen Sather and team head coach John Tortorella are showing that they believe in the hockey team they have. Given that the Blueshirts are first in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, it makes sense that team management and its coaching staff believe in this hockey club.
Now, the Blueshirts must focus on their big game tonight (7:30 p.m.) at Madison Square Garden against the New Jersey Devils. With both teams currently in a playoff spot, tonight’s tilt will certainly have a playoff feel to it as the Devils look to further advance in the Eastern Conference standings while the Rangers look to continue to have a firm hold on both the Atlantic Division and the East in general.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Chicago+Blackhawks, Glen+Sather, John+Scott, John+Tortorella, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Rangers out of Nash Running?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/26/12 at 06:59 PM ET
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From NHL Insider Darren Dreger of TSN via Twitter:
Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
NYR wasn’t willing to pay price established for Nash prior to today + today CBJ asked for more than they were originally after.#tradecentre
Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Hard to blame NYR for not blowing up team to make Nash trade. For sake of deadline,let’s hope CBJ softens to keep possibility of trade open.
Click here to follow the latest trade deadline thoughts from one of hockey’s best insiders.
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Tags: Darren+Dreger, New+York+Rangers, TSN,
Rangers Look to Regain Focus Tonight against the Sabres
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/25/12 at 10:33 AM ET
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After last night’s 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders, the New York Rangers need to get back on track with a win tonight against the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden.
For both teams, it will be a back-to-back situation as the Sabres are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the Boston Bruins. The Sabres have a lot to play for as they find themselves just five points out of the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference after winning three straight and going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.
While the Rangers may be first in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, this game should be important to them as well. Over the last week or so, the team has gotten away from the things that made them successful in the first place and that has really come through in their last four games against the Chicago Blackhawks (4-2 loss), Columbus Blue Jackets (3-2 overtime win), Pittsburgh Penguins (2-0 loss) and Islanders (4-3 shootout loss).
On the other side, the Sabres have been playing some terrific hockey. They are getting great goaltending from Ryan Miller, who now looks like his old self, while also getting a lot of offense from the likes of Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, and Drew Stafford.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Chicago+Blackhawks, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Derek+Roy, Drew+Stafford, Jason+Pominville, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Miller, Thomas+Vanek,
Disappointing Shootout Loss to the Islanders
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/24/12 at 10:07 PM ET
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While it may not have been in regulation and while the team got a point, it was essentially another loss for the New York Rangers 4-3 in a shootout to the New York Islanders.
This was simply a game that the Rangers should always have. Yes, the Islanders always bring their best effort against the Rangers but in the grand scheme of things, the Blueshirts need to win these games against the lower seeded New York Islanders.
While Rangers’ netminder Martin Biron was not terrible, he certainly was not great. This is the third straight start in which Biron has allowed three goals or more and is the second straight start in which Biron failed to help get the team two points.
Obviously, there is no real reason to panic given that the team is currently atop both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
Looking at the positives, it was nice to see the Rangers’ power play go 2/5 for tonight. The team got power play goals from Marc Staal and Derek Stepan while Marian Gaboirk got the goal in between.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Derek+Stepan, Evgeni+Nabokov, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Torn on Rick Nash
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/23/12 at 09:07 AM ET
Comments (5)
If you are a New York Rangers’ fan, than you have obviously been hearing all the talk regarding Columbus Blue Jackets’ sniper Rick Nash becoming a Blueshirt via trade come on or before deadline day.
While there is little doubt that Nash is an offensive threat and can put the puck in the net, I am torn on whether or not the Rangers should make a move for him.
For starters, I am not sure I want to give up the likes of Brandon Dubinsky, Michael Del Zotto, or Chris Kreider. These are all young, terrific players that have grown up on the Rangers’ system and have succeeded in it (Kreider soon will). Are they really worth giving up on for the likes of a Nash?
Secondly, what has Nash accomplished with the Blue Jackets? Yes, the team around him is dreadful but he has only managed to get the team into the playoffs once. Again, I understand that he never had much talent around him but players have had less than him and have still led their team to more than one postseason.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Chris+Kreider, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Rick+Nash,
Was This Coming?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/21/12 at 09:39 PM ET
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This is what many New York Rangers’ fans are probably wondering about after watching the Blueshirts get shutout by the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight by a score of 2-0.
The club’s offense took 27 shots, all of which were turned away with relative ease by Penguins’ netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. The Rangers made it easy for Fleury by shooting directly into him and not getting to the real scoring areas in order to put the puck in the net.
The score could have been much worse if not for the play of Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist turned in another strong performance for his hockey club in turning away 29 of 31 Penguins’ shots. Lundqvist was especially good in the first period in stopping all 11 Penguins’ shots as the Rangers came out flat.
The truth of the matter is that this was more than likely coming for the Rangers. They were terrible against the Chicago Blackhawks last Thursday night, barely beat the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night and were shutout tonight in Pittsburgh.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc-Andre+Fleury, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Adding Nash a Must for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/21/12 at 09:14 AM ET
Comments (1)
From Brian Monzo at WFAN.com:
The NHL playoffs are low-scoring battles. There is a very good shot that if the Rangers stick with that they have they may be able to go deep in the playoffs. But, if the price is right, and they can add someone like Rick Nash (27-years-old), they have to make the move.
I am not so sure people around here are familiar with Nash and his work. As much hockey as I watch, I don’t find myself locked in on many Blue Jackets games. But I know one thing, there are very few power forwards like Nash out there.
He was drafted first overall in 2002 and immediately was thrown into the fire. Nash has scored 40 or more goals twice and 30-plus goals four times. Oh yeah — he is 6’4 and 215 lbs.
Nash could be the missing piece, and the physical goal scoring punch going into the playoffs. The one downfall? He is signed through 2018 with a salary cap hit of $7.8 million per season.
Click here for more from Monzo.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Brian+Monzo, New+York+Rangers, Rick+Nash, WFAN.com,
A 60-Minute Effort
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/20/12 at 08:39 AM ET
Comments (0)
That is exactly what the New York Rangers put in last night in their 3-2 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden.
The game may have gone to overtime but this is a game that the Blueshirts controlled from start to finish. The team put pucks to the net, controlled the puck along the boards and looked confident in making plays with the puck in both the offense and defensive zones.
The perfect example of this was the overtime goal scored by Derek Stepan. Michael Del Zotto started it all by rushing the puck up the ice, giving it to Marian Gaborik, getting it back from Gaborik, going to the net, getting a lucky pass back to Gaborik who then fired a pass across to Del Zotto to the left of goaltender Steve Mason and then Del Zotto zipped a pass to the right of Mason to Stepan who fired it home to give the Rangers the victory.
One thing that hurt the Rangers in this hockey game was face-offs. Both Blue Jackets’ goals came off of face-off wins, including the game-tying goal by Rick Nash.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Derek+Stepan, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Rick+Nash, Steve+Mason,
