Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Pittsburgh+Penguins
Do Not Take Lightly
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/19/12 at 01:58 PM ET
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This is the attitude that the New York Rangers should have going into tonight’s tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.
The Penguins may be without Sidney Crosby and some of their other better players but they have definitely picked-up their play in the last few games. Guys like Evgeni Malkin, who should be considered the Penguins’ most valuable player right now, and James Neal are doing everything they possibly can to keep their club afloat while Crosby is still recovering.
Furthermore, defenseman Kris Letang will be making his return to the Penguins’ line-up tonight. This will give the Penguins some added firepower and as well as a lethal threat on the power play.
Like team head coach John Tortorella said two nights ago, the club should not be thinking about the Stanley Cup right now. This Blueshirts’ hockey club has a long way to go and needs to take things on a game-by-game basis, something that has worked well for them so far this season.
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Tags: Evegni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, James+Neal, John+Tortorella, Kris+Letang, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby,
Holding Onto the Top Spot
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/18/12 at 09:24 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers continue to do as the team picked-up a 3-0 win over the Nashville Predators last night at Madison Square Garden.
Due to playing in a hockey game of my own, I was not able to catch any of the game. With that said, it was nice to see Henrik Lundqvist get another shutout and the team come out with a much better defensive performance than they did against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night in Montreal.
It was also nice to see that John Mitchell scored another goal for the Blueshirts. No one really knew whether or not Mitchell would fit in with this Rangers’ team but he has come in and gotten the job done by working hard every night, forechecking hard, going to the net and cashing in on opportunities when they present themselves.
This is a team that continues to show that it can respond well after a loss. Too many times in the past few seasons would the Rangers follow up a loss with another bad game but this season, team head coach John Tortorella has seemed to keep that to a minimum.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 29-11-4 for 62 points. The team has a one point edge over the Detroit Red Wings for first in the league and a three point edge over the Boston Bruins for first in the Eastern Conference.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Detroit+Red+Wings, Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, James+Neal, John+Mitchell, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Rangers Steal Two Points in Pittsburgh
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/06/12 at 09:45 PM ET
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It was not pretty but the New York Rangers managed to find a way to win a hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 3-1.
The number one reason why the Blueshirts were able to win this game was the play of their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was outstanding in making 37 saves on 38 shots. When the team lacked energy and the defense was not there to help him, Lundqvist did his usual to step up and provide the goaltending that they needed in order to win the game.
Rangers’ forward Brandon Dubinsky had himself another strong game. “Dubi” picked-up a shorthanded goal in the second period off a great feed from Ryan Callahan and also picked up an assist on Brad Richards’s goal in the first period.
The team also got a solid performance from defenseman Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh logged over 26 minutes in ice time and did a great job of blocking shots, clearing the crease, breaking up passes and playing within himself, something he has done all season long for the Blueshirts.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh,
Rangers Come Through Again With Win Over Panthers
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/05/12 at 09:55 PM ET
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It seems like every single time the New York Rangers play, they find a way to win.
The team did just that tonight by defeating the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Marian Gaborik at Madison Square Garden. Gaborik had been buzzing around the Panthers’ net all night long and was finally rewarded when he got the overtime winner, his 23rd of the season.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 25-9-4 to remain in first in the Eastern Conference by 1 point over the Boston Bruins. The win was also the Blueshirts’ 11th on home ice as the team now has a 12-3-2 record on Garden Ice.
Besides Gaborik, the Rangers also got solid performances from Brad Richards (1 assist), Derek Stepan (1 assist), Ryan Callahan (1 goal), Michael Del Zotto (1 assist) and Dan Girardi. It was also nice to see defenseman Marc Staal get a bit more ice time with 12:51 minutes tonight.
Even though the Panthers scored first and also managed to knot the game up at 2-2, the Rangers controlled most of the game. The Blueshirts outshot the Panthers 41-21 and did a terrific job of getting pucks deep, forechecking and going hard to the net.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Florida+Panthers, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Battling the Florida Panthers
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/05/12 at 09:14 AM ET
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After what happened in last Friday night’s tilt between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, it is certainly going to be a battle tonight at Madison Square Garden.
In the Rangers’ 4-1 win against the Cats last week, tempers flared and the anger level was high after Blueshirts’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto was sucker punched by Panthers’ forward Tomas Kopecky after Del Zotto cross-checked him in the back a few times and high-sticked him in the face in front of the net. After the game, Panthers’ head coach Kevin Dineen said Del Zotto got what he deserved.
With both teams in the top three in the Eastern Conference (Rangers in first; Panthers in third), tonight should be a great game. Looking at the Rangers, they are clicking on all cylinders right now and have won their last two games and are obviously coming off an exciting 3-2 win at the 2012 Winter Classic over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Florida Panthers are 4-4-2 in their last 10 but are certainly not a pushover hockey club this season. They work hard, can put the puck in the net, and can play physical hockey, as was seen last Friday night in Miami.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, Kevin+Dineen, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tomas+Kopecky,
Getting Back on Track
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/10/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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That is something that the New York Rangers (15-6-4) will look to do tonight against the Buffalo Sabres (14-11-2) in Buffalo.
Buffalo is coming off a 2-1 overtime victory over the streaking Florida Panthers last night. It was a hard fought battle so there is no doubt that the Sabres may be a bit tired.
On the other side, the Blueshirts are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. According to team beat writers, the team had a good practice yesterday before heading off to Buffalo for tonight’s tilt.
The Rangers come into this game having not won since last Saturday night when they defeated the Lightning by a score of 4-2. Since that game, the Blueshirts have lost to the Leafs (4-2 on Monday Night night) and the Lightning and picked-up one point in those two games combined.
Even with their recent “winless streak”, the team still sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with 34 points and is two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins (fourth in the Eastern Conference) and three points behind the Philadelphia Flyers (first in the Eastern Conference). If the team is able to pick up two points tonight, they will have a chance to move up a bit in the standings, which always feels good to any NHL hockey club.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Brian+Boyle, Buffalo+Sabres, Buffalo+Sabres, Florida+Panthers, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Ryan+Callahan, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Bring on The Hurricanes
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/01/11 at 10:58 AM ET
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With the way the New York Rangers are playing right now, this is the kind of attitude they should have when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in Raleigh.
Coming into tonight’s tilt, both teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Blueshirts are 8-2 in their last 10 games, have won three straight and are 13-5-3 on the season, good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
At the other end of the spectrum are the Carolina Hurricanes. Having just fired Paul Maurice, Kirk Muller’s Hurricanes are second to last in the East with a 8-14-4 record and are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games.
The Blueshirts are coming off a game in which they beat the NHL’s best team in the Pittsburgh Penguins. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the Blueshirts got strong performances from the likes of Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Carl Hagelin and Henrik Lundqvist.
In all, the Rangers are playing with a ton of confidence and defenseman Michael Sauer said as much to The Record’s Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Kirk+Muller, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Sauer, New+York+Rangers, Paul+Maurice, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Rangers Win Barn Burner Over The Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/30/11 at 09:08 AM ET
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The New York Rangers passed a big test last night at Madison Square Garden by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins, No. 1 in the Eastern Conference, by a score of 4-3.
Most importantly, the Rangers’ best players played like they were suppossed to last night. Brad Richards had a goal and two assists, Marian Gaborik had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Callahan also had a goal and an assist.
The team also got another strong performance out of rookie Carl Hagelin. Hagelin picked up his third NHL point on a great assist on John Mitchell’s goal and also had a team high six shots on goal.
Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist did what he had to do in making 24 saves on 27 shots for his tenth victory of the season. Lundqvist was especially good in the first period making 13 saves on 14 shots.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundvqist, John+Mitchell, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Big Test for Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/29/11 at 08:34 AM ET
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That will most certainly be the case tonight when the New York Rangers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Penguins ride into town with the best record in both the Eastern Conference and entire NHL (14-6-4). Of course, we cannot forget that Sidney Crosby is back and once again looks like the best player in the entire National Hockey League.
The Blueshirts are also playing some pretty solid hockey themselves. They have won two straight over the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers and also sport one of the league’s best records on home ice at 6-1-1.
The key for the Rangers tonight will be to key in on guys like Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. These guys know how to put the puck in the net and if given ample room to do so, especially on the power play, will make the Blueshirts pay for their mistakes.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Derek+Stepan, Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, James+Neal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby,
Blueshirts Come Through in Weekend Sweep
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/27/11 at 12:38 PM ET
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When New York Rangers’ fans first looked at the schedule and saw back-to-back games against the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, they were probably extremely worried.
Well, it turns out the Blueshirts surprised everyone by winning both by scores of 6-3 and 2-0, respectively. With the two wins, the Rangers improved to 12-5-3 on the season and are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference.
In their game against the Capitals, the team got a strong performance from their team captain, Ryan Callahan. Callahan picked up three assists and was involved in all areas of the ice.
In that game, the club got goals from Ruslan Fedotenko (2), Marian Gaborik, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle and Brad Richards. The team also got a strong performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 18 saves on 21 shots.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Carl+Hagelin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Sidney+Crosby, Washington+Capitals,
Pretty Amazing, Eh?
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/22/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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This simply describes the play of Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby.
In his first game since January 5, 2011, Crosby picked up two goals and two assists for four points in just over 15 minutes played in a 5-0 whitewash of the lowly New York Islanders. Yes folks, you read that right - four points in 15-minutes. Imagine if he got his usual ice time.
I know that I am a New York Rangers’ fan and should not like the enemy. However, I am a hockey fan first and have really come to appreciate what Crosby does for the game of hockey.
Last night, Sid “the Kid” showed his amazing offensive talent, an ability to put the puck wherever he wants and the power and accuracy to shoot the puck from anywhere (8 shots on goal), whether it is on the forehand or backhand. Simply put, he was a hockey specimen last night.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
All About Hope Now
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/09/11 at 01:59 PM ET
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The New York Rangers did what they had to do this afternoon in defeating the New Jersey Devils by a score of 5-2 at Madison Square Garden.
With the victory, the Blueshirts finished the regular season with 93 points, putting them up two points over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight and should they lose in regulation time or overtime, the Rangers will clinch the final playoff spot and prepare for a first round matchup with the first place Washington Capitals.
It was great to see hard-working guys like Chris Drury, Brandon Prust, Ryan McDonagh and Vinny Prospal all beat future hall-of-fame netminder Martin Brodeur. For Drury, it was his first goal of the season and a big one at that. He also did well on face-offs and overall, was a positive factor for the Blueshirts this afternoon.
For McDonagh, it was his first career NHL goal. It could not have come at a better time for the Blueshirts as it gave them a 3-2 lead in the second period as well as a game-winning goal for #27.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Brandon+Prust, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chris+Drury, Dan+Bylsma, John+Tortorella, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+McDonagh, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Vinny+Prospal,
Avoiding The Trap Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/22/11 at 08:21 AM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers need to do tonight at Madison Square Garden when they take on the Florida Panthers.
The Blueshirts are currently on a four-game winning streak and have a four point lead on the eighth place Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The last thing this team needs is to lose to the Florida Panthers, a team that is out of the playoff race and looking to slow down any team that is trying to advance to the Stanley Cup tournament.
In the team’s last four games, they have shown that they can put the puck in the net, score on the power play, kill big penalties and get solid goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist on a somewhat consistent basis. Every one on the team is stepping up at the right time and one can only hope that it does not stop this week with their game against the Panthers tonight as well as against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sean+Avery, Wojtek+Wolski,
Fair Enough
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/21/11 at 06:07 PM ET
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Upon hearing about Pittsburgh Penguins’ forward Matt Cooke’s suspension for his elbow to the head hit on New York Rangers’ defenseman Ryan McDonagh, I think it is more than fair.
The truth of the matter is that the National Hockey League needs to take a stand against these types of hits and suspending a repeat offender for 10 games as well as the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is certainly one way to do that. This should show the offender that what he did was wrong and that because of that, he should miss part of the most important part of the NHL season: the playoffs.
It is pretty telling what former Penguins’ teammate and now Rangers’ forward Ruslan Fedotenko had to say about Cooke:
“I played with him, and I know what kind of player he is,” Fedotenko, now with the Rangers, told the New York Daily News. “Sometimes, he’s an effective player with what he brings to the team. He’s not necessarily a fighter, but an (agitator), one of the guys that gets guys off their games. Sometimes he was really effective for us.
“On the other hand, sometimes he’s just doing some — I would consider, dumb things. And it’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate for the league, for the players, for his teammates, opposite team. I feel like, it’s too bad he can’t, I guess, control it.”
“I don’t know what he can say for that. I don’t know,” Fedotenko said. “And with the NHL trying to crack down on it, I’m sure it will be a big issue, especially with what’s happened with his teammate, Crosby.”
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Tags: Matt+Cooke, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Sean+Avery,
Lundqvist Shines in Rangers 5-2 Victory Over the Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/20/11 at 02:03 PM ET
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Questionable coming into this afternoon’s tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist put on a show in Pittsburgh in a 5-2 Rangers’ victory.
Lundqvist was brilliant in making 38 saves and picking up his 31st victory of the season. He was able to control his rebounds, make second and third stops when he needed to and provided the kind of goaltending that any team needs to win a hockey game.
For someone who had a stiff neck, Lundqvist was a warrior for the Blueshirts and showed his club just how much he means to them and in turn, how much he needs them to help him in order to succeed. The team was able to do just that this afternoon and now, have a four-game winning streak.
With the win, the Rangers now have 82 points and are up four on the eighth place Buffalo Sabres (who also play today) in the Eastern Conference. The win also puts the Rangers just three points behind the sixth place Montreal Canadiens so the Rangers are making noise at the right time.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Buffalo+Sabres, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Goals A Plenty in Rangers’ 6-3 Win over the Canadiens
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/19/11 at 12:14 PM ET
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This may be hard to believe but the New York Rangers’ have won three straight home games by outscoring their opponents by a 19-6 margin.
The Rangers’ latest victim was the Montreal Canadiens in a 6-3 victory. The team scored five goals in the first period with five different goal scorers in Artem Anisimov, Dan Girardi, Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, and Brian Boyle. Vinny Prospal scored the team’s sixth and final goal in the third period.
With the win, the Rangers hit the 80-point mark and remain four points up on the eighth place Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes, who had a huge OT win over the New York Islanders last night.
For a team that struggles with offense, they certainly know how to beat up on team’s when given the opportunity to do so. Last night, the team took advantage of a Montreal Canadiens’ team that played the night before against the Tampa Bay Lightning and a somewhat tired Carey Price, who was yanked after allowing the fifth Rangers’ goal. It certainly was not Price’s fault as he had no help out there.
The team also got a strong performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who picked up his sixth consecutive 30-win season. With the 30th win, Lundqvist became the first goalie in NHL history to 30 or more games in his first six seasons in the league.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Benoit+Pouliot, Brian+Boyle, Buffalo+Sabres, Carey+Price, Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Girardi, Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby, Vinny+Prospal, Washington+Capitals,
Big Win for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/11 at 10:53 PM ET
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Tonight’s game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders was one that the Blueshirts needed to have on home ice.
Mission accomplished. The Blueshirts came out and beat the Islanders by a score of 6-3 and picked up points 77 and 78 on the season.
Believe it or not, the Rangers got three power play goals and a shorthanded goal tonight. Erik Christensen, Bryan McCabe (his first as a Ranger) and Marian Gaborik all connected with the man-advantage while Brandon Prust picked up the shorthanded goal in the first period to give his team a 1-0 lead.
With the win, the Rangers now have sole possession of the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference as the Carolina Hurricanes shutout the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 1-0.
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Tags: Brandon+Prust, Bryan+McCabe, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
All The Help They Can Get
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/09/11 at 10:37 AM ET
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This is what the New York Rangers need if the team wants to hold onto one of the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference.
Last night, the Blueshirts got some help from the Pittsburgh Penguins as the Penguins were able to defeat the eighth place Buffalo Sabres by a score of 3-1. With the loss, the Sabres sit at 72 points and remain two points behind the Rangers, who are in action tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.
Besides doing themselves a favor and coming up with two points against the Ducks tonight in Anaheim, the Rangers should hope that the ninth place Carolina Hurricanes, just three points behind the Blueshirts in the ninth spot, lose tonight to the Atlanta Thrashers. Given the way things have gone for the Thrashers lately, the best thing the Rangers could do tonight is pick up two points to go up four on the Sabres. If the Hurricanes win tonight, than the Rangers would still be three points up if they manage to beat the Ducks.
It is a lot of scoreboard watching but it is what makes this time of year so exciting for hockey fans. Could you imagine if the Blueshirts in the Western Conference? I am sure that many of you would have had a heart attack by now.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Atlanta+Thrashers, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Three Big Games On Tap for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/16/11 at 09:02 AM ET
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After snapping a six-game winless streak on Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers are getting ready for three big games during the rest of the week against the Los Angeles Kings (tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden), New Jersey Devils (Friday night at the Prudential Center) and the Philadelphia Flyers (Sunday afternoon at the Garden).
For those counting, that is a crucial six points on the line for the Blueshirts and an opportunity to put a tighter hold on one of the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference. For the Rangers to go six for six, a few things will need to happen: the top nine forwards will need to build on their performance from Sunday afternoon, they cannot back down and they need to get strong goaltending whether it is from Henrik Lundqvist or Martin Biron.
Let’s look further into those three key details:
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Tags: Los+Angeles+Kings, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Why Today’s Win Was Important for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/13/11 at 08:26 PM ET
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Obviously, any time you win a game in the National Hockey League, it’s a good thing. A team comes away with two points, its players get the job done and it makes their fans happy.
One can say the same thing after the New York Rangers snapped their six game winless streak by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden by a score of 5-3. However, for the Rangers, winning this afternoon’s game may end up meaning much more.
For starters, it gets the players feeling good about themselves. Sure, they were not feeling terribly before even though they were losing but a win puts the players back in the right frame of mind and gets them believing that they can make a positive impact in the NHL.
Secondly, the players can stop blaming theirselves for the losing streak. This is exactly what Rangers’ forward Vinny Prospal was doing because once he was reinserted back into the lineup, the team started losing games. With a win under his belt, he can now focus on playing his game.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Vinny+Prospal,
Rangers Power Play Clicks In Victory Over the Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/13/11 at 05:40 PM ET
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As our fearless leader Paul Kukla mentioned in my previous blog, I need to start writing about the New York Rangers needing to win now in order to get the team going.
This afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the Blueshirts did just that in a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, snapping their six game winless strerak. The team was also able to get its power play as the team went three for five with the man advantage.
The game certainly did not start great for the Rangers as they found themselves 2-0 after the Penguins scored two goals on their first four shots. After Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella called a timeout, the team responded in a positive manner and exploded offensively.
The Blueshirts got goals from Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan (2), Vinny Prospal and Artem Anisimov with Callahan, Prospal and Anisimov all connecting on the power play. It just goes to show you what a good power play can do to a hockey team as this afternoon, it certainly raised the level of the Rangers.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Atlanta+Thrashers, Brian+Boyle, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Los+Angeles+Kings, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Vinny+Prospal,
The Goal is Simple: Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/13/11 at 11:02 AM ET
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This is exactly how the New York Rangers should look at this afternoon’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Blueshirts are winless in their last six games and the streak has put them dangerously close to falling out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference. The Carolina Hurricanes, who are in the eighth spot, and the Atlanta Thrashers, who are in the ninth spot, are both just two points behind the Rangers and each have games in hand.
The team’s offense must find ways to put pucks in the net on a more consistent basis. Marian Gaborik, and it seems like we have talked about him all season, needs to start scoring goals. He played well on Friday night against the Thrashers but could not score on the penalty shot he was awarded in the third period. Had he scored on the penalty shot, the team may have come away with a victory rather than a 3-2 loss.
The Rangers also need to start finding a way to close out games. During their winless streak, they haven’t been terrible by any means. In fact, they had a chance to win most of the games but simply could not find a way to do so. This needs to change immediately.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Carolina+Hurricanes, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Winless Streak Hits Six for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/12/11 at 11:45 AM ET
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Last night’s game against the Atlanta Thrashers was one that the New York Rangers needed to come away with two points.
Simply put, they did not and managed to extend their winless streak to six games. It was a game that was essentially worth four points because it was against the Thrashers. With the loss, the Carolina Hurricanes are only three points behind in what has become an extremely interesting Eastern Conference race.
In their winless streak, the Blueshirts have lost four in a row. The team still holds the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference but are now just two points in front of the Thrashers, who hold the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
With a 2-1 lead in the third period, all the Rangers needed to do was play tight defense, stay out of the box, get big saves from Henrik Lundqvist and at the same time, push for an insurance goal. The Rangers were able to do three out of four and the one exception was one that hurt them the most.
Rangers’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto took a tripping penalty in the third period when he was not able ot control a bouncing puck along the boards behind the net and had to trip Nik Antropov as he came in alone on Lundqvist. The Thrashers were able to get a power play goal from Evander Kane, his second of the game, which gave the Thrashers a 3-2 lead and ultimately, the hockey game.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Brandon+Dubinsky, Evander+Kane, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ondrej+Pavelec, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Rangers Set to Take on New Jersey Devils Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/03/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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No matter where the teams are in the standings, it is always a good hockey game when it is the New York Rangers vs. the New Jersey Devils.
Tonight’s tilt at Madison Square Garden features two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Blueshirts are fighting in the middle of the pack for a playoff spot while the Devils are out of the playoff picture, despite playing extremely well recently.
The game tonight also marks the return of Rangers’ forward Vinny Prospal. It will be Prospal’s first game of the season and it could not come at a better time as someone needs to help get Marian Gaborik’s game clicking on all cylinders. No one is sure if it is going to be Prospal but given the success the duo had last season, it is not hard to imagine that being the case.
The Blueshirts are coming off a tough 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at the Garden. Given that the Penguins were without the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, as well as Jordan Staal for 25 minutes of the game, the Rangers’ should have been able to pick up for two points but had to settle for one.
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Tags: Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Vinny+Prospal, Washington+Capitals,
Not Great but Not Bad
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/02/11 at 08:40 AM ET
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That would be the phrase to describe the play of the New York Rangers last night in their 3-2 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.
The team got off to a great start and was up 2-0 in the second period on goals by Brandon Prust and Artem Anisimov. However, the Penguins scored three goals to take the lead before Ryan Callahan tied it up with a power play goal on Jordan Staal’s five minute penalty (he got tossed from the game).
This was a game that the Blueshirts should have been able to pick up two points but instead, come away with one. They had trouble finishing both in the third period and in the shootout and ultimately, that is what did them in as they had numerous chances to get the game winning goal.
With that said, there were some positives in the game. For starters, it was great to have Callahan (1 goal) and Brandon Dubinsky (1 assist) back in the lineup. These are two of the hardest working Blueshirts and it showed last night as they generated several scoring opportunities. Callahan definitely showed some rust but since he had not played for over a month, it is excusable.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Jordan+Staal, New+Jersey+devils, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Getting Healthy at the Right Time
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/01/11 at 10:00 AM ET
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That is what everyone in the New York Rangers’ organization is hoping as the team prepares for its first game after the break against the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at Madison Square Garden.
According to various team beat writers, Rangers’ forward Ryan Callahan will return to the lineup tonight. For the Blueshirts’ that is tremendous news as Callahan brings offensive, defense, penalty killing and leadership the lineup, things that a hockey team, especially the Rangers, can always use.
There are also reports that forward Vinny Prospal could return to the lineup as early as Thursday night when the team takes on the New Jersey Devils. Prospal will also be a welcome return to the team as he can provide some offense as well as be a player that might be able to help out struggling forward Marian Gaborik.
When it comes to tonight, however, all the team should be focused on is picking up two points. The Penguins will be without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, which means that the Rangers will not have to worry focusing their efforts on stoping the offensive dynamic duo.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gabroik, New+Jerseu+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Vinny+Prospal,
Rangers Head Into Much Needed Break With 4-3 Loss to the Panthers
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/26/11 at 08:43 AM ET
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It certainly was not their best game of the season but it wasn’t exactly their worst as the New York Rangers fell to the Florida Panthers by a score of 4-3.
The Panthers got the game-winner when Panthers’ Mike Weaver took shot from the point that was going wide and instead, it ended up hitting Rangers’ forward Artem Anisimov’s shoulder and popped up in the air and landed behind Lundqvist to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead and ultimately, the victory.
While that was a negative for the Blueshirts, there were also several positives. Down 3-1 going into the third period, the Rangers’ battled back on goals by Brandon Prust and Dan Boyle to tie the game. For Boyle, it was his team leading 18th goal of the season, a number that I don’t think anyone expected him to have heading into the season.
Another positive for the Rangers was the play of Mats Zuccarello. Zuccarello picked up three assists. Zuccarello knows how to set-up his teammates, knows how to get to loose pucks and knows how to use his speed to create scoring opportunities, all skills that will allow him to have success in the NHL.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Prust, dan+Boyle, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Mats+Zuccarello, Michael+Del+Zotto, Mike+Weaver, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
NHL Home Ice Producer and Host Shawn Lavigne’s Experience at the Winter Classic
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/08/11 at 04:05 PM ET
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Shawn Lavigne, a host/producer of Hockey This Morning on XM NHL Home Ice, was kind enough to take time out os his busy schedule to tell us about his experience at this year’s Winter Classic in Pittsburgh.
PH: First off, tell us about your thoughts when you were first told that you would be covering the Winter Classic for NHL Home Ice?
SL: Well when the game was announced for Pittsburgh, I said no matter what I could not miss it! I love watching both the Capitals and Penguins and wanted to be part of the best rivalry in the league right now. I will call my experience a great working vacation.
PH: What was it like seeing one of the NFL’s better stadiums turned into a hockey rink/arena for a few days?
SL: I arrived in Pittsburgh on Thursday morning and immediately I saw a huge Winter Classic banner on the outside of Heinz Field. The stadium looked incredible inside and out. It is a great facility and the NHL did an outstanding job converting the stadium into a hockey environment. Heinz Field had a more intimate feel to it compared to Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo when I was there for the first Winter Classic.
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Tags: Hockey+This+Morning, NHL+Home+Ice, NHL+Winter+Classic, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Shawn+Lavigne, Washington+Capitals,
A Win and a Loss In One Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/16/10 at 08:39 AM ET
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Going into Pittsburgh last night, the New York Rangers had a tough task ahead of them in tyring to beat one of the best/hottest teams in the National Hockey League: the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Down 1-0 going into the third period, the Blueshirts found their game and scored four goals en route to their league leading 12th victory on the road. Obviously, it is a two huge points for a club that has a game tonight at Madsion Square Garden against the Phoenix Coyotes and a game on Saturday in Philadelphia against another one of the league’s top teams in the Philadelphia Flyers.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, they did manage to lose something last night. Ryan Callahan broke his hand blocking a shot.
This is a huge loss for the team as they were finally on the path to having a healthy team as team captain Chris Drury returned to the lineup in last night’s tilt with the Penguins.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Two Points on the Line Against One of The League’s Best
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/15/10 at 08:16 AM ET
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If there was ever an opportunity for the New York Rangers to make a statement, tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins would be it.
The Penguins are coming off a 12-game unbeaten streak where they played some of their best hockey in franchise history. Yes, the team lost it’s winning streak last night when the Philadelphia Flyers beat them 3-2 but that does not erase everything that the Penguins accomplished during their winning streak.
The Rangers simply need to take advantage of the fact that the Penguins are probably still a bit stung from last night’s loss to their arch-rivals and do everything they can to make it a two game losing streak for the home team. With that said, however, it is certainly not going to be an easy thing to accomplish.
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Tags: Chris+Drury, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Blueshirts Week Ahead
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/13/10 at 08:00 AM ET
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At this point in the season, it is great to see that the New York Rangers are in the thick of the Eastern Conference early season playoff race and are getting solid performances spread throughout the season.
In this installment of “Blueshirts Week Ahead”, I’d like for you folks to keep an eye on several players as well as give you a look at who the team will be facing off against this week.
Players to Keep An Eye on
- Michael Del Zotto
It will be interesting to see how Del Zotto performs after being scratched last week in the team’s 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Team head coach John Tortorella gave him a homework assignment to see how the club’s power play performed along with what he should be doing on defense.
Remember, Del Zotto is only in his second season and at the age of 20, still has a lot to learn.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Michael+Del+Zotto, Michael+Sauer, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Blueshirts Miss Opportunity to Defeat Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/30/10 at 12:37 PM ET
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The scoreboard may have read 3-1 at the sound of the Madison Square Garden buzzer but this was a game in which the New York Rangers could have beaten the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won their seventh straight game last night.
They had a several-minute lapse in the second period that really cost them the game as the Penguins scored two quick goals off the sticks of defenseman Kris Letang and forward Chris Connor. Other than that lapse, however, it was a solid game for the Blueshirts.
Now, I know that you folks probably want me to mention the Sidney Crosby “slue-foot” or however you spell it, but I am not going to talk about that here. It is what it is and it does not even matter as the Rangers probably would have lost with or without it.
What I will talk about is the Rangers missing the net. The team had several scoring chances in the third period and they just could not hit the net for one reason or another. Blueshirts’ forward Alex Frolov is a player that sticks out in my mind when it comes to this as is defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who has a great shot but has trouble finding the net with it.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Chris+Connor, Henrik+Lundqvist, Kris+Letang, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Blueshirts Week Ahead
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/29/10 at 08:00 AM ET
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I would like to introduce you folks to a new feature here at the Goal Line Report: Blueshirts’ Week Ahead.
I do a similar feature over at RLD Hockey. However, unlike RLD Hockey, this feature will focus on the New York Rangers and will include players to keep an eye on and the team’s games of the week.
This is something I will do every Monday morning from here on out.
Players to Keep an Eye on
- Henrik Lundqvist
Coming off two straight wins, it will be interesting to see if New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist can carry it into this week against the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders (2) and Ottawa Senators.
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Tags: Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Is Lundqvist Back on Track?
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/28/10 at 02:44 PM ET
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After being out of town for the last two days, it was nice to see the New York Rangers get the job done on the road and get back-to-back wins against the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators.
It was even nicer to see that Blueshirts’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist started both games and played well in them. Unfortunately, I did not get to watch either game but just looking at his statistics, it looks like he faced a lot of rubber and was able to pick-up his second shutout of the season against the Panthers and get the shootout victory against the Predators last night by stopping all three Predator shooters.
It may just be two games but for Lundqvist, they should be considered confidence boosters. He had been struggling up until late last week and needed to show his hockey club that he is still the backbone of the team and show them why he is considered one of the top netminders in the National Hockey League.
The Blueshirts have another big week on tap beginning tomorrow night when Sidney Crosby and the Penguins visit Madison Square Garden for a tilt. Later in the week, the Blueshirts will take on the New York Islanders in the beginning of a home-and-home series at the Coliseum on Thursday night followed by a game at MSG on Friday night before closing out the week with a game against the Ottawa Senators at the Garden on Sunday evening.
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Tags: Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
I’m Hitting the Road for a Few Days
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/24/10 at 08:48 AM ET
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Good morning folks. I wanted to let everyone know that I won’t be posting for the next few days as I have an extremely busy Thanksgiving planned and then I’m going to Newport, RI for a few days with my wife.
Unfortunately, I’ll miss two of the three New York Ranger games so feel free to post your comments on the games in the comment section of this blog as I’m sure there will be things to talk about.
Much like myself, the Rangers will be on the road the rest of this week with games against the Tampa Bay Lightning (tonight at 7:30 p.m.), Florida Panthers (Friday night) and the Nashville Predators (Saturday night) before heading home to take on the streaking Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
It is not out of the realm of possibility that the team could win all three games but considering how tough the Lightning can be, picking up four points with wins over the Panthers and Predators seems a lot more realistic right now.
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Tags: Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Rangers Get it Done in Pittsburgh
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/16/10 at 09:24 AM ET
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Going into last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Consol Energy Center, New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist knew that he would have to be at his best.
He was just that last night for the Blueshirts who escaped Pittsburgh with a 3-2 overtime victory on a goal by Ryan Callahan off a great move and pass from Brandon Dubinsky. It was a game that would test the Rangers’ mettle and while not passing with straight A’s, they were able to pick up two points.
As I mentioned above, this game was all about Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 37 saves in stopping the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and others. He was lass than three minutes away from a shutout until Chris Kunitz tied the game up at 1-1 and then Matt Cooke made it 2-1.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Tim+Thomas,
Gaborik Shines in Rangers’ Explosive Offensive Output Against the Oilers
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/14/10 at 06:43 PM ET
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While it was against a weak Edmonton Oilers hockey club, the New York Rangers flexed their scoring muscles in the name of Marian Gaborik in an 8-2 victory on home ice.
Gaborik had a hat trick and an assist in a game that was his coming out party for this season. Remember folks, this was really Gaborik’s fourth game of the season as he missed close to a month with a shoulder injury.
Two of Gaborik’s three goals came on breakaways where he made Oilers’ goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin look foolish. The first breakaway, he deked Khabibulin out of his pants and on the second breakaway, he ripped a shot past him to pick up his second hat trick as a Ranger.
His linemates, Alex Frolov (two goals and two assists for four points) and Erik Christensen (three assists) also had solid games for the Blueshirts in what was a dominating game. For Christensen, it was a huge game because he could potentially be the odd man out when injured captain Chris Drury comes back. However, if Christensen continues to play like he did this afternoon against the Oilers, he may make it hard for both head coach John Tortorella and general manager Glen Sather to send him down.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Boston+Bruins, Colorado+Avalanche+and+Minnesota+Wild, Edmonton+Oilers, Erik+Christensen, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Lundqvist Shines in Blueshirts’ loss to the Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/05/10 at 12:51 PM ET
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50 saves in a hockey game is pretty remarkable. New York Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist made 50 saves in last night’s game against the high-octane Pittsburgh Penguins in a 5-4 overtime loss.
The “king” did everything he could to try and get his team two points, making big saves at crucial points, swallowing up rebounds and being in position for second and third shots. However, a suspect performance by the Blueshirts’ defense did the team in and ultimately, cost them a crucial point in the standings.
Yes, it was nice to see guys like Artem Anisimov, Chris Drury, Michal Rozsival and Brandon Dubinsky score but you would have liked to see the team play better defense and get the important win.
I’m busy at work today so I have to keep this short. Let’s see what the team does this weekend in games against the Washington Capitals in Washington tomorrow night and at home against Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Uh Oh: Gabby Out tonight Against Pens
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/04/10 at 04:42 PM ET
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From friend of the blog Rick Carpiniello at the Rangers Report:
Meanwhile, the Rangers return home, winners of three straight (including one at Pittsburgh) and still on the outside of the playoff picture, but just one point out of seventh place with 19 games left.
They face the Pens without Marian Gaborik, whose groin injury could keep him out a while. Michael Del Zotto returns.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Rangers’ Forwards Stepping Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/04/10 at 09:09 AM ET
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In the three games that New York Rangers’ superstar Marian Gaborik has been out, the team has scored 12 goals in the combined three wins.
For the team and its fans, it has been a sight for sore eyes as the team has generally struggled to put the puck in the net this season. However, in the team’s three straight wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators, the team has been able to produce and has received solid production from guys such as Erik Christensen, Sean Avery, Olli Jokinen, Ryan Callahan and Vinny Prospal.
This is going to need to be the case tonight when the Blueshirts take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden. We all know the Pens’ can score but if the team can play shut down defense and get good goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, the offense, in turn, will have to step up and find the back of the net.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Three In A Row = Somewhat of a Winning Streak
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/02/10 at 11:15 PM ET
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It feels weird writing that considering that this was the New York Rangers’ first game since returning from the break. However, the Blueshirts came out and played a solid road game in defeating the Northeast-leading Ottawa Senators 4-1 to pick up a crucial two points and their third straight win in as many games.
Ryan Callahan, despite not really having a break since he was on Team USA, had a terrific game in scoring two goals while also being his all-out hustling self. The team also got solid performances from the likes of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (24 saves), Erik Christensen (2 assists), Brandon Dubinsky (1 goal), Sean Avery (1 goal, 1 assist) and a few others.
The team was able to score four goals without it’s leading goal scorer and point getter, Marian Gaborik, who was out with a lower body injury. This should show you that when the team plays the right way, it can score goals without having to rely too heavily on its superstar.
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Tags: Glen+Sather, New+York+Rangers, NHL+Trade+Deadline, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Time to Dig Deep
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/12/10 at 09:01 AM ET
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From good friend of the blog Jim Cerny at NewYorkRangers.com:
If the Rangers believed there was enough sense of urgency in their collective game as of late, head coach John Tortorella delivered a message heading into this evening’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Mellon Arena that he does not think it’s enough.
“That’s the thing that’s right in front of us, and it’s something that we can control,” Tortorella said Thursday following practice. “That’s the responsibility of the coaching staff and the players to get to another level to find a way to get points at a desperate time.”
Rangers alternate captain Vinny Prospal said the Blueshirts have to play harder on a consistent basis to have success tonight against the Pens at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, where Prospal just happened to score his first NHL goal nearly 13 years ago.
Tortorella delivered an impassioned pep talk to his players during Thursday’s practice. Then, following practice at the MSG Training Center, the Rangers held a closed-door team meeting before flying to Pittsburgh.
Click here for more on tonight’s tilt between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Another Two Points Out the Window
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/11/10 at 09:39 AM ET
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I am not going to lie - I did not watch the New York Rangers vs. Nashville Predators game last night. I was busy shoveling and getting my car out of the snow last night.
Judging by the outcome of the game though, it would appear that I might have worked as hard as the Rangers did. However, the difference is that I didn’t end up losing two crucial points in a playoff race.
Looking at the box score, it would appear that the Blueshirts peppered Nashville netminder Dan Ellis (38 shots), only to be stopped time and time again (37 saves). This happens often to the Rangers but at this point in the season, this is something that the team should avoid at all costs.
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Tags: Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Rangers Continue to Disappoint & Struggle
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/26/10 at 11:03 AM ET
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I unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on how you look at it), was not around to watch the New York Rangers lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 4-2 last night at Madison Square Garden.
I know that Artem Anisimov had two goals for the Blueshirts and some dude named Chris Conner had two goals for the Penguins. I also know that the Rangers continued to struggle and managed to fall to eighth place in the Eastern Conference with the loss last night.
Hockey pundits and fans alike know how important getting points at this time of year is. We stress it over and over again and with good reason, considering that the Olympic break is coming up and then after that, April will be here before we know it.
The question is where will the Rangers be when all is said and done?
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Will They Score?
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/25/10 at 04:18 PM ET
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That is the question that every New York Rangers fan is asking themselves as the team gets set to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins, who defeated the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday afternoon by a score of 2-1 in Philly.
The Blueshirts were shut out in back-to-back games last week against the Flyers (Thursday night) and the Montreal Canadiens (Saturday night) by scores of 2-0 and 6-0, respectively. As such, the Rangers will look to break their scoring woes early tonight against the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Sergei Gonchar, Brooks Orpik, and others.
To do so, Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella has taken Erik Christensen out of the lineup and has inserted Donald Brashear. I am obviously kidding about Brashear being able to provide offense but unfortunately, this is what the head coach has decided to do.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Blueshirts Lose Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/30/09 at 09:44 PM ET
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When you have only one player that can really put the puck in net, your team is going to be in trouble.
That was the case tonight for the New York Rangers as the team lost 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden. Marian Gaborik scored the team’s only goals while the rest of the team’s offense was quiet.
On the other side, the Penguins got a hat trick from role player Mike Rupp along with two goals from Sid “the kid” Crosby and a solid performance from their goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. For the Penguins, that’s 13 goals combined in their last two tilts with the Blueshirts.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Are the Rangers in Trouble?
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/30/09 at 11:49 AM ET
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From Patrick Hoffman (me) at MaxHockey.com:
After two drubbings this weekend - a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and an 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins - the New York Rangers appear to be in some trouble.
Friday night’s loss was one of the team’s worst performances this season. They had trouble generating quality scoring chances, had terrible defensive zone coverage in leaving goaltender Henrik Lundqvist out to dry, and looked extremely slow compared to the Lightning.
Saturday night’s loss was the product of poor goaltending from Steve Valiquette, poor defensive zone coverage and missed offensive opportunities. To leave Sidney Crosby open for three goals like they did that night is inexcusable and will surely hurt them again if the team does that tonight at Madison Square Garden.
At 13-12-1 and tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, the Blueshirts are in a bit of trouble and things will not get any easier. The team takes on the Penguins again tonight at MSG, the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo on Saturday night, the Detroit Red Wings at the Garden on Sunday night and then Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago next Wednesday night.
Click here for more.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Some Thoughts on Valiquette
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/29/09 at 10:04 AM ET
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From Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:
And as great a guy as Steve Valiquette is and as much as you want to see him do well, it may be getting to the point where the Rangers have to consider alternatives to backup Henrik Lundqvist. As discussed, Valiquette goes through long stretches where he plays very well - and Tortorella cited him as the reason the Rangers were still in this game heading into the third period despite a weak defensive effort in the first period - but then seems to have too many of these stretches where one goal leads to several goals. Tonight’s third period is a fine example. So was that 10-2 loss at Dallas last season. Or the 5-2 loss at Toronto last season.
Valley certainly had a rough third period last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins and let the game slip away from his team. Through the first two periods, however, he did everything he could to keep his team in the game.
With that in mind, do you agree with Gross’s assessment that the team should look elsewhere for a more viable backup netminder?
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Steve+Valiquette,
Turning it Around
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/27/09 at 09:39 AM ET
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Coming off two straight wins - one a 7-4 drubbing of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the other a 2-1 shootout victory over the Florida Panthers - the New York Rangers (7th in the Eastern Conference) appear to be taking steps towards righting the ship.
Tonight, they’ll look to extend their winning streak to three straight as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (10th in the Eastern Conference) at the St. Pete Times Forum. The game marks head coach John Tortorella’s first time coaching against his former team since taking over as the team’s head coach last February.
However, tonight’s focus will be on the team playing solid road hockey and doing everything they can to pick up two points before facing off against the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow night in Pittsburgh. Torts said as much to Jim Cerny in a game preview article for NewYorkRangers.com:
I have no time to think about anything else,” said Tortorella. “It’s not about me. It’s not fair—I’m the coach of a hockey team trying to win a game, that’s all.”
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
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,
