Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Philadelphia+Flyers
It’s That Simple
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/09/10 at 12:11 PM ET
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From Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:
For all the possible permutations in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Rangers’ task - or their understanding of it - couldn’t be more fundamentally simple. Don’t worry about the Bruins or Canadiens, though the Rangers could still beat either of those two teams out, also. Beat the Flyers twice - at least once in regulation - starting tonight at Madison Square Garden and the team gets to play again either next Wednesday or Thursday (Thursday if it’s the top-seeded Capitals since the Wizards host an NBA game on Wednesday).
Click here for more on tonight’s HUGE tilt with the Philadelphia Flyers.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
The Stage is Set
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/08/10 at 09:02 AM ET
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One knew that the Blueshirts would come out with a much better effort last night against the Maple Leafs than the one they gave in Buffalo the night before in a 5-2 loss.
The effort produced big results for the Rangers as the team secured a 5-1 victory and kept themselves very much alive in the playoff hunt, which will come down to the home-and-home series with the Philadelphia Flyers beginning tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.
It’s pretty simple for the Blueshirts - win both games and you’re in the playoffs. The Flyers don’t play again until this home-and-home series and as such, do not have a chance to gain ground on the idle Rangers tonight.
If you’re the Rangers, you want to play these next two games like you played last night - scored early, played solid defense, was disciplined and left it all out on the ice. Obviously, the Flyers are a much tougher opponent than the Leafs but nevertheless, the goal is still the same.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Talking Flyers’ Goaltending
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/21/10 at 04:02 PM ET
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I know that this is a few days old but I wanted to point out great friend of the blog’s Scotty Wazz’s look at the Philadelphia Flyers goaltending unstableness:
Though, when you think Philadelphia—many things jump to mind. Cheesesteaks, rowdy fans, and goalie issues. Since the lockout, Robert Esche, Antero Niittymaki, Martin Biron, Martin Houle, Emery, Boucher, and Leighton (twice) have been in net for the Flyers. If you even trace back before the lockout until the 1999-2000 season; add Jeff Hackett, Sean Burke, Neil Little, Roman Cechmanek, Boucher again, Maxime Ouellet, and John Vanbiesbrouck. That’s 13 goalies in ten seasons. While it’s not out of control in terms of size, it is a little suspect how none of them could really stick around for the long-term. While you can say it’s a matter of not having a consistent team around them or the pressure on being the franchise keeper could be factors, yet at the same time; you’d think you throw enough stuff against the wall, there’s something that’s bound to stick. You can even say that since Ron Hextall, there hasn’t be a goalie who has been capable to carry the Flyers banner—and he stopped being a starter after the 1998-99 season.
Click here for more great stuff from Scotty Wazz!
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Tags: Philadelphia+Flyers,
Taking Care of Business
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/14/10 at 08:39 PM ET
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The Blueshirts did just that on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden this afternoon as they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-1.
After being a healthy scratch on Friday night in Atlanta, Rangers’ pest Sean Avery came out and got the job done. He scored two goals, was engaged in the action and played on the right edge of the line. He was the Sean Avery of old and the Sean Avery that the Rangers need to have going forward if they want to make the playoffs.
The Rangers also got terrific play out of Chris Drury (2 assists) and Erik Christensen (2 assists). Since returning from the Olympic break, Drury has looked comfortable in his role and for him, that is exactly what he needs to succeed. Sure, the Rangers signed Drur at “first-line” money but this is a player who is a second or third line center who can win you face-offs, kill penalties, and score clutch goals. He may not be scoring clutch goals but he is certainly playing a heckuva lot better than he did prior to the break.
The team was also strong defensively as they only allowed the Flyers to take 18 shots. Henrik Lundqvist made the big saves when he needed to and Michael Del Zotto was especially strong. Del Zotto was not afraid to be physcial, something every team needs to be when taking on the Broadstreet Bullies.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Let’s Not Get Carried Away
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/13/10 at 12:47 PM ET
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The New York Rangers snapped their four game losing streak last night in Atlanta by defeating the Thrashers by a score of 5-2.
It was nice to see both Marian Gaborik (1 goal, 2 assists) and Vinny Prospal (2 goals, 1 assist) wake up and get the offense going while it was also nice to see goaltender Henrik Lundqvist make 29 saves in picking up his 27th victory of the season. It’s amazing what the team can do when these three all play well.
Since this is a team game, I figured I’d also mention the strong play of Ryan Callahan (1 goal, 1 assist) and Chris Drury (2 assists). Both Callahan and Drury seem to be the only Blueshirts who have played well since returning from the Olympic break.
However, let’s not get carried away here folks. Yes, it was a win and yes, it was nice to pickup two points. Remember though, only the top eight teams from each conference make the playoffs and if the playoffs were to start today, the Blueshirts would be on the outside looking in as they currently sit in ninth place, three points behind the eighth place Boston Bruins and five points behind the seventh place Montreal Canadiens.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Not an Easy Road
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/09/10 at 09:26 AM ET
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The title above is perfect when it comes to talking about the New York Rangers.
In three of their last four games, the Blueshirts have picked up four out of eight points and have played well enough to stay in games. They lost in OT to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday night. They lost 2-0 to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night and lost in OT on Sunday night to the Buffalo Sabres.
These were all games that the Rangers played well enough to earn two points instead of 1 or 0. However, the team is still two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot and the road to the end of the regular season certainly does not get any easier.
The Rangers had a golden opportunity to beat the Buffalo Sabres in overtime on Sunday night but were not able to do so. Sure, the team battled hard to tie the game up at 1-1 with less than two minutes to go but were once again foiled in OT, much like they were against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday night.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Do you Remember This Player?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/26/10 at 02:10 PM ET
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Prior to watching the Team USA vs. Team Finland game, here is a bit of interesting reading that you should check out.
From good friend of the blog Scotty Wazz at The Strangest One of All:
While we all know these AGMs are tales of goalies who names are kept in the back of our mind for one reason or another, and this one is no different. That said, there’s much more to this story than meets-the-eye, as it is a tale of family mistrust and could be listed as the start of the troubles with the Flyers’ goaltending. This is the tale of Dominic Roussel.
Click here for more from my good friend at The Faceoff Hockey Show
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Tags: Dominic+Roussel, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Betts Re-signs with Philly
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/12/10 at 09:20 AM ET
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From Tim Panaccio at CSNPhilly.com:
He’s played only 39 games this season because twice he dislocated his right shoulder.
But that was more than enough games for the Flyers to realize that Blair Betts might be the best penalty killer they’ve had in orange ‘n black since Keith Primeau.
The 29-year-old Betts has agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $1.4 million – $700,000 annually against the salary cap.
Click here for more on the former New York Ranger.
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Tags: Blair+Betts, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Your Thoughts on Gabby and Carcillo
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/24/10 at 12:56 PM ET
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Good friend of the blog Jim Cerny wrote about New York Rangers’ forward Marian Gaborik and Philadelphia Flyers’ forward Dan Carcillo’s tift that took place Thursday night at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. I am sorry that I did not blog about it on Thursday night but figured that there would be plenty said by team beat reporters and wanted to let them express their thoughts on the fight.
Here is a brief sample of what Cerny thought:
Most likely your opinion on this will depend largely on if you are a Rangers’ fan or a Flyers’ fan. The Rangers’ supporter will claim that the blood-thirsty Carcillo could have let Blair Betts pull Gaborik out of the scrum, but instead saw an opportunity to get at New York’s best player. The Flyers’ fan will retort that Carcillo just yanked the first guy out of the pile he saw, and only was willing to fight when Gaborik dropped his gloves first.
The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. I don’t really think Carcillo is such an innocent here, but Gaborik was more than willing to have a go with him. In fact, while Tortorella sarcastically said that Carcillo “is a real brave guy” and added that there “was no honor” in what he did, Gaborik himself had this to say after the game:
“I think there was a little scrum in front and we got caught up and dropped the gloves. That’s what happens. Obviously, he got a few shots in on me but that’s hockey.”
Click here for more. What are your thoughts?
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Blueshirts Get Shut Out for Third Time in a Week
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/10 at 10:15 PM ET
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So much for continuing the offensive onslaught, eh?
The New York Rangers were shut out by the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at the Wachovia Center by a score of 2-0. The team put 24 shots on goal but the shots didn’t seem to generate the chances that they did on Sunday night against the Montreal Canadiens and on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Flyers were extremely disciplined and made life difficult for the Blueshirts in the third period as they were able to clog up the neutral zone and not give the Rangers any breathing room, something the team had a lot of earlier this week.
It wasn’t a terrible game for the Rangers but it certainly was not what they wanted as they head into Montreal on Saturday night to take on the Habs’, who will certainly be looking to avenge last Sunday’s 6-2 loss at Madison Square Garden.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Keep it Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/20/10 at 03:09 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers have to do tomorrow night against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center. If the team plays like they did last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning (8-2 win) and Sunday night against the Montreal Canadiens (6-2 win), there is no reason why the team cannot come away with two points.
What could end up being good news for the Blueshirts is that Ray Emery will be in goal for the Flyers, at least according to Andrew Gross via his Twitter account. Emery, though very good at times, is also extremely inconsistent and for a struggling Flyers hockey club, that cannot be a good thing.
I would not expect there to be too many lineup changes given the success of the lineup that head coach John Tortorella has implemented in the past two games. Why fix what is not broken, right?
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Rangers vs. Lightning Conclusion
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/19/10 at 10:19 PM ET
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First Period
The New York Rangers have picked up right where they left off against the Montreal Canadiens and have stormed out to a 3-1 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning after the first period. The team got goals from Brandon Dubinsky, Vinny Prospal and Chris Drury and hopefully, their strong play will carry over into the second period.
Again folks, every point is crucial as each team (with the exception of a few) begins their march towards the Stanley Cup playoffs. As long as the Blueshirts continue to pick up points, they should be in good position come April.
May be I’ll be back with more after the second period but if I’m not, here’s hoping that the team continues to pile on the offense.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
So Much for Mediocrity
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/18/10 at 03:23 PM ET
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Now, that is exactly what the New York Rangers needed to do.
Last night at Madison Square Garden, the team scored the Montreal Canadiens for six unanswered goals and went on to win by a score of 6-2. The Blueshirts got terrific performances from the likes of Brandon Dubinsky (3 points), Ryan Callahan (4 points), Marian Gaborik (3 points), Vinny Prospal (2 points) and Chris Drury (2 points).
The six goals obviously ended the goalless drought at MSG and could prove to be a tremendous confidence booster as the team gets ready to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night at MSG and the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night in Philly.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Flyers Dominate Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/31/09 at 09:57 AM ET
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I have to say that I did not see this coming.
Last game at MSG before 2010, a chance to pick up two big points in front of the home crowd and improve the team’s home record and an opportunity to build a new winning streak - all blown to smitheriens as the Blueshirts lost to the Philadelphia Flyers last night by a score of 6-0.
Basically put, the team did not show up last night. They gave the Flyers ample scoring opportunities, left guys all alone in front of both goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (pulled after the first period) and Chad Johnson and made the game quite easy for Flyers’ netminder Michael Leighton.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Philadelphia Fever
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/30/09 at 09:01 AM ET
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Before celebrating the new year, the New York Rangers will take on the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at Madison Square Garden.
Yes, the Flyers are ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference and yes, the Blueshirts beat them just 11 days ago but remember, the Rangers tend to make games like these exciting and in reality, the Flyers are just two points behind the Rangers.
What this means for the Blueshirts is that they need to take care of business, especially at home. With somewhat of a surprising record, the Rangers are just 8-9-2 at MSG this season. In the the team’s last four seasons, they have usually established themselves as one of the best teams at home but it’s been a much different story this season.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
The King Returns to his Throne
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/19/09 at 03:46 PM ET
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New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is slowly but surely getting his game back and for the Blueshirts, it’s certainly welcomed.
In the last games, Lundqvist has stopped 71 of 74 shots in allowing three goals to the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers and beating them by scores of 5-2 and 2-1. He’s been square the shooters, stopping the first and second (as well as third) shots and looking very confident in goal.
It should be said that the “King” has been the catalyst in these two wins. He’s been there when his team hasn’t and he’s given his team every chance to win a hockey game. In a goaltender, there is really not much else you can ask for.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
More to Come or SSDD?
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/18/09 at 10:47 AM ET
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The New York Rangers found a way to snap out of their funk last night by defeating the New York Islanders by a score of 5-2. Yes folks, you read that right - the Rangers scored 5 goals.
Even more noteworthy is that Chris Drury scored his third goal of the season and that Artem Anisimov also had a terrific goal in the third period.
However, this game was all about the play of guys like Ryan Callahan (2g, 2a), Marian Gaborik (1g, 2a) and Henrik Lundqvist (35 saves). These players stepped up in a huge way last night and prior to the game, Lundqvist sat the team down and held a players only meeting along with Sean Avery.
Looks like something clicked, right?
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Atlantic Division Report
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/07/09 at 08:38 PM ET
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Last season, the Atlantic Division was one of the best divisions in all of hockey. Four out of the five teams finished with over 90 points – the Penguins, the New Jersey Devils, the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers.
Early into the 2009-2010 season, it appears that history is looking to repeat itself as all four of those teams have winning records just over a month into the season. Even the New York Islanders are trying to get into the act as they are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games.
Let’s take a look at how the division is shaping up as we head towards the middle of November.
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Rivalry starting early between the Flyers and Bruins?
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/08/09 at 10:17 PM ET
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From John McGourty at NHL.com:
More than 200 people crammed the store to hear Thomas, the 2009 Vezina Trophy winner, and Pronger, the 2000 Norris Trophy winner and 2007 Stanley Cup winner, talk about the upcoming season, which will see the pair oppose one another on Jan. 1, 2010 in the Bridgestone Winter Classic at Boston’s Fenway Park.
After an interview session hosted by ESPN The Magazine Senior Writer E.J. Hradek, the floor was thrown open to questions and Thomas a shot in the pads from Gabriel Hall of West Philadelphia.
“After we beat you this season, what else are looking forward to this year?” Hall said to Thomas.
Thomas is perpetually mild, courteous, thoughtful and decent, but Hall hit him where he lives.
“I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself, fella,” Thomas retorted.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Now What Will They Do?
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/10/09 at 09:50 AM ET
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Last night, the New York Rangers clinched a playoff spot after beating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 at Madison Square Garden. It was a playoff atmosphere that the Blueshirts took advantage of in the first period and rode it all the way to the final buzzer.
Fans can now rest easily knowing that their favorite team has made the playoffs and that a few more games will be played. However, the main question now is how far will they go?
It’s tough to answer that question. On paper, this looks like a team that should score a bunch of goals. In reality, however, the team is second to last in goals scored despite having players such as Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Markus Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev, Nik Antropov, and Sean Avery.
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Tags: Chris+Drury, Markus+Naslund, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Philadelphia+Flyers, Scott+Gomez, Sean+Avery,
Win and In
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/09/09 at 09:30 AM ET
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It’s that simple for the New York Rangers tonight as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden.
It’ll be a playoff atmosphere on the Rangers’ turf as they look to wrap up their regular season on home ice by clinching a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It certainly will not be an easy task as the team will have to battle with the likes of Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell and Mike Knuble, guys who have consistently put points up on the board.
The Blueshirts will have to find a way to match the Flyers’ offense, which means that guys like Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Markus Naslund, Nik Antropov and Nikolai Zherdev will have to step up to the plate and find a way to lead this team. Drury was able to do so on Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens and as such, needs to repeat performance tonight in a much bigger hockey game.
It’s still tough to think how the Rangers got off to such a hot start, only to find themselves in this kind of situation. However, a win tonight over the Broadstreet Bullies will make it all worth it.
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Tags: Chris+Drury, Danny+Briere, Eastern+Conference, Jeff+Carter, Markus+Naslund, Mike+Knuble, Mike+Richards, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Philadelphia+Flyers, Scott+Gomez, Scott+Hartnell, Simon+Gagne,
It Means A Lot
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/07/09 at 01:50 PM ET
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As I pointed out in yesterday’s blog, tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens is absolutely critical for the New York Rangers. The Rangers are currently tied with the Florida Panthers (take on the Philadelphia Flyers tonight) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 89 points.
A win tonight over the Habs and a loss for the Panthers would help the blueshirts because one, it gives them two points and two, it gives them another victory in case the remaining seed comes down to a tie-breaker. Basically put, the team needs to win tonight to help clinch a playoff spot within the next five days.
For more Rangers news and notes, please check out the following links:
- Rangers Report
- Blue Notes
- Ranger Rants
- SNY Rangers Blog
- Blueshirt Banter
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Tags: Blue+Notes, Blueshirt+Banter, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ranger+Rants, Rangers+Report, SNY+Rangers+Blog,
Puck Daddy: Rangers Have a 50/50 Chance of Clinching Playoff Spot
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/06/09 at 03:10 PM ET
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In his terrific Puck Daddy Blog, Greg Wyshynski puts a death watch on the New York Rangers’ playoff chances.
However, PDaddy does give blueshirt fans some hope with this little tidbit:
“Of course, the Rangers have one significant advantage in this duel to the finish: Both teams have 89 points in 79 games, but the Rangers have 40 wins to the Panthers’ 39. The road isn’t easy at all for New York - a game against the Montreal Canadiens, and then two games against the Philadelphia Flyers to end the season—but technically the Rangers control their own fate.”
What do you folks think of the Rangers’ playoff chances this season?
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Tags: Florida+Panthers, Greg+Wyshynski, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Puck+Daddy+Blog,
Biggest Game of The Year
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/06/09 at 10:25 AM ET
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Tomorrow night will mark the New York Rangers’ biggest game of the season to date. After the Florida Panthers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, the blueshirts find themselves tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 89 points.
With three games to go in the regular season, their uphill battle will continue tomorrow night when they take on the Montreal Canadiens, a team that is seventh in the conference with 92 points and is catching fire at the right time (5-3-2 in their last 10 games). The Rangers can beat the Canadiens but again, with the tension mounting and the games becoming more and more important by the day, it is not going to be an easy task.
The team has games with the Habs and Philadelphia Flyers (two) to determine whether or not this year’s Rangers will clinch a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season. The Panthers, on the other hand, have games against the Flyers, Atlanta Thrashers, and Washington Capitals. Both teams have competitive schedules but now, it will come down to just three games to determine who gets the last playoff spot in the conference.
The team has no one to blame but themselves for being in this situation. Problems with consistency, the power play, line juggling, personnel changes, etc. have all contributed to the team’s issues this season. Now, however, is the time to put those off to the side and go out there and get the job done because the last thing the team wants to do is miss the playoffs and disappoint the thousands of Ranger fans that will be at the Garden both tomorrow night against the Habs and Thursday night against the Flyers.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Washington+Capitals,
This Week’s Questions
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/03/09 at 12:40 PM ET
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Much like I did last Friday, I am going to list a few questions related to what’s going on in the hockey world.
Please feel free to post your thoughts on the following questions in the comment section of the blog:
- Will the St. Louis Blues make the playoffs? Why or why not?
- What is happening to the New Jersey Devils? Why are they struggling so much?
- Is this the last hurrah in Minnesota for Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire? If so, where do you think he will end up coaching next? Why?
- Have the Montreal Canadiens finally righted the ship after a dismal February and early March? What have they done differently?
- Does anyone really believe that Philadelphia Flyers’ netminder Martin Biron can lead his club to the Stanley Cup?
- Are the Chicago Blackhawks good enough to make a deep run in the playoffs?
- Do the Detroit Red Wings have good enough goaltending to get them back to the Stanley Cup Finals?
Let’s hear your thoughts!
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Detroit+Red+Wings, Jacques+Lemaire, Martin+Biron, Minnesota+Wild, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Where Are They Going?
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/29/09 at 12:30 PM ET
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The New York Rangers dropped their second straight game yesterday afternoon in a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The loss keeps the Blueshirts in seventh place with 87 points. However, the Montreal Canadiens are in the eighth spot just one point (86 points) behind them and the Florida Panthers are in the ninth spot just two points behind (85 points).
The Rangers showed some character by battling back from a two-goal and one-goal defecit while also killing off nine Penguins’ power plays. However, Sid “the Kid” Crosby’s great effort put the Penguins ahead midway through the third period, giving the Penguins a 12-1-2 record in their last 15 games.
As we’ve said on this blog before, the club’s remaining schedule will not make things any easier for the Blueshirts. Tomorrow night, they take on the Atlantic Division leading New Jersey Devils followed by games against the red hot Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and a home-and-home series against the Philadelphia Flyers to close out the regular season.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, Florida+Panthers, Ilya+Kovalchuk, Montreal+Canadiens, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Big Two Points Up For Grabs in Atlanta
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/09 at 09:15 AM ET
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On paper, a tilt with the Atlanta Thrashers looks like an easy two points but for the New York Rangers, every game is like a playoff game and as such, should be treated like one.
The team is coming off a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild in a game where they played down to the Wild’s level. They were able to generate an array of scoring chances but once again had some difficulty finding the back of the net and were forced to play a tight defensive game, something fans are all too familiar with thanks to former head coach Tom Renney.
With that being said, good defense at this time of year certainly isn’t a bad thing but to win games, this team still needs to score more goals. Sure, they’ve scored more goals under new head coach John Tortorella but they need to do it on a consistent basis, something they have struggled with all season long.
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Tags: Adam+Graves, Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, John+Tortorella, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tom+Renney,
Avery Gets It Done
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/09 at 08:30 PM ET
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NBC promoted this afternoon’s game as “Sean Avery’s New York Rangers” against the Philadelphia Flyers. It was only fitting that Avery and the Blueshirts went out beat the Flyers by a score of 4-1, with Avery scoring two goals, getting into a couple of scrums and causing the Flyers to focus on him rather than on playing the game.
What’s more is that the Rangers actually scored three power play goals and once again peppered the Flyers net with 39 shots on goal and this time, were rewarded for it.
The win puts the Blueshirts in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with the Montreal Canadiens, a team they will take on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, a place that has been a nightmare of sorts for the team the past couple of visits.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Montreal+Canadiens, NBC, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Philadelphia+Flyers, Sean+Avery,
Tough Loss in Philly
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/14/09 at 04:05 PM ET
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The New York Rangers fired everything but the kitchen sink at the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon and came away with a 4-2 loss, putting them at risk of dropping out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
The team was certainly not afraid to shoot the puck as they fired 41 on Flyers’ netminder Marty Biron, who made 39 saves and was the major reason why the Broadstreet Bullies picked up two points. Aaron Asham also played well for the Flyers, scoring his sixth and seventh goals of the season.
This was a game that the Blueshirts could have won. They had lots of shots on goal, they moved the puck around well but as always, they had trouble burying their chances.
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Tags: Aaron+Asham, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal+Scott+Hartnell, Marty+Biron, Mike+Richards, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Philadelphia+Flyers, Sean+Avery,
Rock Bottom
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/17/09 at 09:45 AM ET
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With the way the New York Rangers are playing, it’s hard to believe that they still hold a playoff spot. Currently, the team is tied for the fifth place with the Montreal Canadiens in the tight Eastern Conference.
The truth is that they really don’t deserve to be where they are right now. The team had the benefit of an easy schedule in the regular season, which allowed them to pick up a ton of points and build a solid cushion. Most fans and pundits alike figured that this cushion would be enough to help the team to solidify a playoff spot.
Unfortunately, they were wrong as the Blueshirts are currently up just five points over the ninth place Carolina Hurricanes, a lead that is quickly evaporating as the team continues to drop games left and right, much like they did this weekend with losses to the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and the St. Louis Blues.
Uh, Houston, we have a problem.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Sean+Avery, St.+Louis+Blues, Tom+Renney,
The New Season
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/03/09 at 12:00 PM ET
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The New York Rangers will look to put up their second straight win tonight when they take on the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center.
In the team’s last meeting, the Capitals overcame a four goal deficit to defeat the Rangers 5-4 in overtime thanks to the play of their fearless superstar, Alex Ovechkin. It was a real gut-check moment for the Blueshirts that showed them that they still have a lot of work to do before being considered one of the NHL’s elite teams, despite being tied for third place with the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference, who each have 49 points.
In order for the Blueshirts to get back to playing consistent hockey, a lot of things have to happen.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Chris+Drury, Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Scott+Gomez, Washington+Capitals,
A Brand New Day
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/26/08 at 04:00 PM ET
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First off, I hope you all had a happy and safe holiday, especially you New York Ranger fans out there who were looking to shake off Tuesday night’s terrible loss to the Washington Capitals.
Tomorrow night’s game against the New Jersey Devils should be looked at as a fresh start for the Rangers. Again, they’re coming off a terrible collapse against the Caps’ and have displayed rather inconsistent hockey over the past month or so.
So what better way to shake off the cob webs and play the best hockey they can play than by beating their Hudson River rivals?
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Blue+Notes, Blueshirt+Bulletin, Chris+Drury, Dubi+Silverstein, Eastern+Conference, Glen+Sather, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ranger+Rants, Rangers+Report, Sam+Weinman, Scott+Gomez, SNY+Rangers+Blog, Steve+Zipay, Washington+Capitals,
Devils are Impressive
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/21/08 at 01:05 PM ET
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I’m getting ready to watch the New Jersey Devils take on the Philadelphia Flyers in a Sunday afternoon matinee at the Prudential Center and figured that this would be a good time to reflect on what the Devils have done this season.
When Martin Broduer went down with an injury in early November, many hockey pundits and fans thought that the Devils were done. They weren’t scoring a lot of goals, they weren’t really winning and lastly, they would have to rely on Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmensen.
Well, a month and 17 days later, the Devils are 18-9-3, good for third in the Atlantic Division and sicth in the Eastern Conference. They’ve also won 11 of their last 14 games. Not bad, huh?
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Tags: Brian+Gionta, Kevin+Weekes, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, Patrik+Elias, Philadelphia+Flyers, Scott+Clemmensen, Zach+Parise,
Christmas Could Come Early
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/16/08 at 09:15 PM ET
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According to Vancouver Canucks’ General Manager Mike Gillis, Mats Sundin will have his decision by Thursday.
All I can say is, and I think the rest of the hockey world will agree with me, it’s about time. Since last season ended, all anyone could talk about was “What is Mats Sundin going to do?” “Is he going to retire?” “Is he going to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs?” “Is he going to be a Montreal Canadien, Vancouver Canuck, Philadelphia Flyer, New York Ranger, etc.?” “Will he really just be a rent-a-player?”
That question will finally be answered on Thursday and right now, it’s tough to say what he is going to decide.
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Tags: Daniel+Sedin, Fredrik+Sjostrom, Henrik, Henrik+Sedin, Markus+Naslund, Mats+Sundin, Mike+Gillis, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Vancouver+Canucks,
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