Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: 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,
Drop the Puck!
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/02/09 at 09:39 AM ET
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The day has finally come folks - the puck will drop tonight to open up the New York Ranger 2009-10 season as they take on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Blueshirts will be on the bench as the Pens’ raise their Stanley Cup banner so if that’s not motivation enough to go out there and win a hockey game, I don’t know what is.
According to Rick Carpiniello at Rangers Report, Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella had the following to say about watching the Penguins raise their banner:
“Yes we are, because I think that’s the National Hockey League and I don’t want to be disrespectful to what that trophy is. I hope it’s not a long night. But I think it’s important. I don’t want to disrespect what the National Hockey League is about and what we’re trying to win … we’ll be out there to see it, and then we’ll be ready to play.
“I think it’s good. I’ve been on the end of these, a couple the other way, and I’ve been on one the right way, and I think it’s a great thing, especially for some of the youth on our team. I think it’s good for them to see it, as far as a culmination thing.”
For the Rangers, however, this season is all about a new start. The team has head coach John Tortorella with them to start the season, some fresh faces in Marian Gaborik, Christopher Higgins, Donald Brashear, Enver Lisin, Artem Anisimov, Ales Kotalik, Brian Boyle, Matt Gilroy, and Michael Del Zotto.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
From Assistant in NHL, to head coach in AHL, to Stanley Cup Champion
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/08/09 at 09:13 PM ET
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From Chris Botta at AOL’s NHL FanHouse:
On a Sunday afternoon, February 15 of this year, the 38-year-old Byslma was preparing his Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League for a 5:00 pm home game. A short while before warmup, he received a text from Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero: “Call me from ur office in 5 mins.”
Bylsma’s heart started pounding. He knew something big was up. Most of his dealings as a Baby Pens assistant for one season and then head coach for 51 games had been with assistant GM Chuck Fletcher. This time Shero needed him promptly. The AHL coach started thinking about what he was going to say. “I figured it had to be about the Penguins job,” said Bylsma, “because my body wouldn’t have reacted that way.” Before the five minutes were up, he had calmed down. “I didn’t need to call anyone for help,” he said. “I was confident that I was prepared for the opportunity. Everything came into focus.”
The next morning he was in the Garden City Hotel—ironically, about five minutes from where he once lived on Long Island—getting organized for his first meeting with the Penguins. At 2:00 p.m., his new team was playing the Islanders.
“I was ready. I had 51 games as a head coach in Wilkes Barre plus my season in the NHL with the Islanders to draw from,” he said. “I don’t want to be cavalier about it, but those two experiences were all I needed. On the Island, I learned from the adversity. There were problems. We had injuries, we had people coming and going. It was a difficult situation. As a staff, we did everything we could to keep it together. I worked with Steve Stirling and Brad Shaw and Jack Capuano and took a great deal from their knowledge. I learned a lot from Sudarshan Maharaj on how to handle goaltenders. In the AHL, I learned about the responsibility of making the final decision…”
Click here for more.
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Tags: Pittsburgh+Penguins,
An Interview with a former Penguins.com Staff Writer
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/17/09 at 04:25 PM ET
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This interview could not have come at a better time - with the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrating their first Stanley Cup since 1992, I was lucky to be able to interview an intern of theirs who did the staff writing for the team’s web site - Deborah Francisco.
Ms. Francisco has a terrific hockey-writing background and shares that, along with how she got into the game, her favorite team/player, the future of online hockey media, and more with us here at Kukla’s Korner.
Continue below to check out what Deb is all about.
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Tags: Deborah+Francisco, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Game 6 on deck - Thoughts?
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/07/09 at 01:50 PM ET
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In Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Penguins looked like a team to be reckoned with. They were getting scoring from their superstars as well as some of their depth players while allowing their goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to have two stellar games between the pipes.
Back in Detroit for Game 5 however, those Penguins were nowhere to be found. What we did find however was the “real” Detroit Red Wings. You know, the Wings that fire on all cylinders, that get tremendous play from the likes of Henrik Zetterburg, Brian Rafalski, Dan Cleary and of course, Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk returned to the lineup last night for the first time since May 19 and promptly had two assists in 17:38 of ice time.
Now, the series once again shifts back to Pittsburgh for Game 6 will there will most certainly be a “white out” and the Wings will have to be ready for a hungry Pens’ hockey club once th puck drops. Remember, the Wings had a 2-0 series lead when the series first shifted to Pittsburgh so they know that no lead is safe, especially when there is a potential Game 7 on the line.
What are your thoughts on this Game 6 match-up? Is Pittsburgh in trouble? Will Detroit be too complacent? Will there be another Cup-raising ceremony at the Mellon Arena? Let’s hear your thoughts!
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Tags: Detroit+Red+Wings, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Finals,
More Penguins/80’s Oilers Comparison
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/05/09 at 03:10 PM ET
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From Larry Wigge at NHL.com:
There have been plenty of comparisons of this year’s Penguins and the start of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty in 1984, when Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and Co. were swept in the Stanley Cup Final by the New York Islanders in 1983 and then came back to beat those same Isles in five games the next year, starting a era in which the Oilers won five Cups in seven years.
What we know is this is the first time since 1984 that the same two teams have met in consecutive years. Back then, the Islanders were coming off four consecutive Cup wins. This year’s Red Wings have won the Cup four times since 1997.
Coincidence? Not even close. The Penguins and Oilers are/were two young teams on the way up, both with a swagger, looking to learn how to win ... and dominate the NHL. And you could say that the last time a teen began as the dominant player in a major team sport occurred in 1979-80, when Gretzky was Crosby’s age.
Click here for more. May be there is actually some truth to these comparisons. What do you folks think?
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Tags: Detroit+Red+Wings, Edmonton+Oilers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Finals,
Puck Daddy’s Take on Detroit’s Problems
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/05/09 at 12:30 PM ET
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From Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy:
The notion that the reigning Stanley Cup champions lost their composure in Thursday night’s 4-2 Game 4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins wasn’t debatable, at least among the players. The debate came when trying to assess how rattled the Detroit Red Wings truly were as the Finals were knotted up 2-2.
Like, for example, the gossip in the postgame interviews that the Big Red Wing Machine was bickering on the ice; an assertion denied by both coach Mike Babcock and captain Nicklas Lidstrom
Click here for more. What do you folks think about Puck Daddy’s take on the Wings’ issues?
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Tags: Detroit+Red+Wings, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Puck+Daddy, Stanley+Cup+Finals,
Fleury - The Man?
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/05/09 at 12:17 PM ET
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When Marc-Andre Fleury first started his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in the fall of 2003, goals were going in left and right. He wasn’t to blame as the team in front of him wasn’t nearly as experienced as it is now but during the first three to three-and-a-half seasons, Fleury experienced many growing pains as an NHL netminder.
No one doubted his talent and no one doubted that he could play professional hockey. What hockey pundits and fans did doubt was his maturity. When Fleury first came into the NHL, he was only 18 years old and as the No.1 pick of the NHL Draft, was expected to be a saving grace for a falling Penguins hockey club. Instead, he was a goalie that struggled to control his rebounds and keep the puck out of the net, leading many to question why the Penguins drafted him and threw him into the fire at such a young age.
Four or so seasons later, the man they call “Flower” has appeared in two Stanley Cup Finals and has shown the team, its fans and the league how good he can be. He now makes the big saves when called upon and he doesn’t get too down after allowing a goal. More importantly, Fleury has provided the Penguins with a steady presence between the pipes and looks like he will be “the man” for years to come in Pittsburgh.
What do you folks think of Fleury? Do you think he still has a lot to prove? Do you think he is overrated? Do you think we have yet to see the best from “Flower”? Let’s hear your thoughts!
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Tags: Marc-Andre+Fleury, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Finals,
Bloggers on the scene in Pittsburgh
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/02/09 at 09:05 PM ET
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What’s great about hockey is that they have great bloggers who cover the game. What’s even greater is that there are a few covering the Stanley Cup Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
Here are a few that come to mind:
- MaxHockey.com
- Scotty Hockey
- Puck Daddy
- Brian Metzer
Check these folks out!
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Detroit+Red+Wings, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Finals,
Game One Predictions?
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/30/09 at 09:20 AM ET
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The day has finally arrived folks - Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. The long, grueling regular season is over and now it comes down to what it’s all about - the Cup.
With that in mind, I wanted to get Kukla’s Korner readers’ thoughts on Game 1:
- What’s the final score going to be?
- Who are going to be the goal scorers?
- Who is going to have the better scoring opportunities?
- Will Crosby or Geno score?
- Will Osgood be as good as he was in the first three rounds?
These are just a few pre-game thoughts floating around my head that I figured you fine folks of Kukla’s Korner would like to ponder over the next 10 hours or so.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Detroit+Red+Wings, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Finals,
Questions heading into the Finals
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/28/09 at 09:46 AM ET
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Well, there you have it folks - a rematch of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Both clubs definitely earned the right to play for hockey’s holy grail but before beginning, I have some questions for all Kukla’s Korner readers out there:
- Who will win this series? Why?
- Will Detroit’s injuries impact them at all during this series?
- Does Red Wings’ netminder Chris Osgood deserve some consideration for the Conn Smythe Trophy?
- Is this the year the Penguins knock off the Wings and show that they learned from last year?
- If the Penguins manage to win the Cup, who do you give the Conn Smythe to?
- Do you think a rematch makes the series any less exciting or will it be great no matter what?
Let’s hear your thoughts!
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Tags: Detroit+Red+Wings, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Finals,
Destined to Meet Again?
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/24/09 at 09:18 PM ET
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Good evening ladies and gents. Sorry I’ve been MIA but I recently moved into my new apartment so things have been quite hectic. Things will be that way for a bit but I will do my best to drop a post in every once in awhile.
It certainly looks like the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins are destined to meet again in the Stanley Cup Finals. I’m sure that many of you die hard hockey fans out there were hoping for something different but with the way these two teams are playing right now, it only seems right that one of them take the Cup home when all is said and done.
It is obvious that the Detroit Red Wings are a well-oiled machine. They can score at will, they have tremendous puck possession, they put up a wall defensively and when needed, they get timely saves out of their goaltender Chris Osgood. What’s even more amazing is that when their best defenseman and captain Nicklas Lidstrom is out of the lineup, the team still finds a way to dominate.
The Penguins may not dominate games the way the Wings do but they still find ways to control hockey games and score when they need to. They’re getting scoring from their stars in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, playing solidy defensively and getting the big saves from their goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Will they meet again come June? Will it be the same result?
What are your thoughts?
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Chris+Osgood, Detroit+Red+Wings, Evgeni+Malkin, Marc-Andre+Fleury, Nicklas+Lidstrom, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby, Stanley+Cup+Playoffs,
Questions, Questions, Questions
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/19/09 at 12:51 PM ET
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That was quite a Game 1 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes last night, wasn’t it? It’s safe to say that this series could go at least six games and for hockey fans, that means nothing but good news as hockey will continue to roll on sometime into June.
As per usual, here are some questions I would like to get your thoughts on regarding the world of hockey:
- Who is better - Penguins’ goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury or Hurricanes’ netminder Cam Ward? Why?
- Will Patrick Roy take the Colorado Avalanche head coaching job? Why or why not?
- Quick, who are your five Conn Smythe trophy nominees?
- Will the Boston Bruins have better luck next year or was this their year to win the Stanley Cup?
- If Chris Osgood and the Detroit Red Wings win the Cup again this season, will Osgood finally get the respect he deserves? Why or why not?
- Would Pierre Maguire really be the right choice for general manager of the Minnesota Wild? Why or why not?
Let’s hear your thoughts!
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Hockey+questions, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Playoffs,
Who is Better?
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/13/09 at 10:37 PM ET
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As you are all well aware of, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are moving onto the Eastern Conference Finals after beating Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals tonight by a score of 6-2.
Now that the series is over, I wanted to ask the readers of Kukla’s Korner a question and we can keep this thread going as long as you want it to go. I don’t want just the answer. I want your full reasons and thoughts. Here we go:
Who is the better hockey player - Crosby or Ovechkin?
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby, Washington+Capitals,
Best Performance of This Year’s playoffs?
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/12/09 at 12:07 AM ET
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As all you hockey nuts are well aware of, there were two Game 6’s tonight in the Stanley Cup playoffs - one between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals and the other between the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Capitals were able to once again extend a series to a seventh game (third straight series the team has done that) with a 5-4 in overtime on a goal by David Steckel while the Blackhawks put the Canucks in their place with a high-scoring 7-5 win, thanks to three goals and an assist from youngster Patrick Kane.
With that in mind, was Kane’s hat trick the best individual performance in this year’s playoffs? What do you folks think?
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: David+Steckel, Patrick+Kane, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Vancouver+Canucks, Washington+Capitals, Washington+Capitals,
Living Up to Expectations
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/05/09 at 03:15 PM ET
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Over at MaxHockey.com, I posted a few quick thoughts on the Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins series. Feel free to check it out here.
Also feel free to check out Stan Fischler’s playoff page for his latest rantings.
You should also wander over to Zachary Weinstock’s playoff page to see his thoughts and ravings of this year’s Cup playoffs.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: MaxHockey.com, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Washington+Capitals,
Thoughts on the Second Round
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/04/09 at 03:57 PM ET
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You can find my thoughts on the second round over at MaxHockey.com. Click below to find out my opinions on each series:
Eastern Conference
- Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes
- Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Western Conference
- Detroit Red Wings vs. Anaheim Ducks
- Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Also feel free to check out Zach Weinstock’s excellent NHL Playoff page.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chicago+Blackhawks, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Vancouver+Canucks, Washington+Capitals,
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.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Washington+Capitals,
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