Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Washington+Capitals
The NHL Needs the Ovechkin of Old to Return to Form
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/08/12 at 11:06 AM ET
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With Pittsburgh Penguins’ superstar Sidney Crosby struggling to get healthy, the National Hockey League needs a player like Washington Capitals’ forward Alex Ovechkin to be better now more than ever.
In Ovechkin’s first few seasons in the NHL, he was absolutely amazing to watch. “Ovy” could score goals at will, fire pucks and more pucks on net, dipsy doodle around five skaters, and hit with the best of them.
Last season, however, the league saw a much different Ovechkin. Ovechkin scored just 32 goals after averaging close to 54 goals a season in his first five years in the NHL.
The league and its fans also saw Ovechkin get lazy on shifts, fail to back check, turn over the puck, and even have his lowest shot total of his career with 367. Prior to last season, Ovechkin averaged close to 432 shots a season.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Washington+Capitals,
Showdown in Miami
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/30/11 at 09:13 AM ET
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The New York Rangers are set to take on the Florida Panthers, a much improved hockey club this season, tonight at 7:30 p.m.
The Blueshirts are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. It was a game that with a better effort and more of a finishing touch, the team probably could have won.
On the other side, the Panthers are coming off a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. The Cats are third in the Eastern Conference with 45 points and are having one of their best seasons in franchise history.
For the Rangers, this will be a tuneup game for them as they get set to focus on the upcoming 2012 Winter Classic game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, January 2. With that said, this is a tuneup game that the team cannot afford to take lightly.
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Tags: Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Washington+Capitals,
Average
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/29/11 at 09:33 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers were last night in their 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.
The team was not terrible but they certainly were not great either. This was a game that with better defensive coverage and less turnovers could have easily been a much better game for the Blueshirts.
What was interesting to see was how the Capitals played. Their team certainly played with a lot of energy and may have even looked like the Capitals of old.
With that said, the chances were there for the Rangers’ taking. There were plenty of juicy rebounds left by Capital’s netminder Tomas Vokoun but the Blueshirts failed to cash in on them.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Tomas+Vokoun, Washington+Capitals,
Shooting for Six
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/28/11 at 10:34 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers will be doing tonight in Washington when they look for their sixth straight win against the Washington Capitals.
It is easy to say that the Blueshirts are on fire right now. They have won five straight games and are currently first not only in the Atlantic Division, but the entire Eastern Conference as well with a 22-8-4 record.
On the other side, the Capitals are one struggling hockey club right now. They are inconsistent in all areas of their game and are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. The coaching change has yet to have its full effect on the team and something needs to change sooner rather than later for Dale Hunter and his club.
These two teams met back on Thanksgiving weekend. It was a game in which the Blueshirts came out on top with a 6-3 win and got some timely saves from netminder Henrik Lundqvist.
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Tags: Dale+Hunter, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Tops in the East
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/27/11 at 09:18 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers are after shutting out the New York Islanders last night by a score of 3-0 at Madison Square Garden.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 22-8-4, which is good enough for first in the Atlantic Division and now, first in the Eastern Conference. The team is one point ahead of the Boston Bruins and two points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The team used a solid 60-minute effort to beat the Islanders last night. After coming back from the holiday’s, many wondered how this Rangers’ club would respond due to the time off. The Blueshirts came back, skated hard and showed why they are one of the tops teams in the National Hockey League this year.
For starters, the team got another solid performance out of netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 28 saves for his third shutout of the season and how has statistics that make him one of the best netminders in the NHL with 15 wins (6th in the league), a 1.95 goals against average (4th in the league), a .936 save percentage (third in the league) and 3 shutouts (4th in the league.
The club also got another goal from their sniper Marian Gaborik. Gaborik now leads the NHL in goals with 21 and has a 5-game goal streak.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Carl+Hagelin, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
It’s Deja Vu all Over Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/26/11 at 10:23 AM ET
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It appears to be that way as just like the New York Rangers did last week, they will be taking on the New York Islanders again tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts are coming off a week in which they picked up six points with three victories over teams in their division. The team beat the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers last week to help move the team to first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference.
With games on Wednesday (at the Washington Capitals) and Friday (at the Florida Panthers), it will be interesting to see how team head coach John Tortorella uses his goaltenders. It is not out of the question that Tortorella uses netminder Martin Biron tonight against the Islanders and then uses Henrik Lundqvist for the next three games against the Capitals, Panthers and of course, the Flyers at the 2012 Winter Classic.
Other than that, there is not too much else going on in Rangerland these days. The team is winning plenty of hockey games, battling through injuries and getting solid play from everyone on the team.
Hopefully, things will stay that way as the team begins an interesting seven days in which they could potentially pick-up eight points.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
View from the Top
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/24/11 at 02:37 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers have after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 4-2 last night at Madison Square Garden.
The team came out and played an almost perfect home game by cashing in on their opportunities, never quitting on plays, forechecking, playing solid defense, and getting terrific goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. Put these all together and you have another solid win on home ice.
With the win, the Rangers are now tied with the Flyers for the Atlantic Division lead and are second in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Boston Bruins. Not bad for a team that no one knew just how good they were going to be or what they were capable of.
For starters, the team was certainly good at deflecting pucks past Flyers’ netminder Ilya Bryzgalov. Derek Stepan did just that on the team’s first goal in the second period when he deflected defenseman Stu Bickel’s shot from the point and surprised Bryzgalov to give the Blueshirts a 1-0 lead. The goal was put under a review but because Stepan’s stick was below the crossbar, the goal counted.
Ruslan Fedotenko did the same thing and his goal was also under review because it was first thought that the team hit the crossbar. However, after reviewing the play, the puck hit the back bar inside the net and the Rangers went up 2-0.
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Boston+Bruins, Derek+Stepan, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Bryzgalov, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Ryan+Callahan, Stu+Bickel, Washington+Capitals, Winter+Classic,
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,
Rangers in Need of Some New Blood and a Quick Turnaround?
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/25/11 at 11:38 AM ET
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It appears that is what team management and the head coach feel as the New York Rangers have recalled both John Mitchell and Carl Hagelin up from the Connecticut Whale.
With two straight losses to the Montreal Canadiens and the Florida Panthers, the Blueshirts will look to get back on track late this afternoon against the Washington Capitals. While the Capitals have been a streaky this team season, they certainly know how to bring the offense and with the Blueshirts’ springing leaks in the defensive zone the last two games, one would expect the Capitals to do the same tonight.
With that in mind, the Blueshirts decided to call up Mitchell and Hagelin not only for some potential new blood, but to replace forward Andre Deveaux, who will more than likely receive a fine from the NHL for his hit on Panthers’ forward Tomas Fleischmann.
As posted yesterday, both John Mitchell and Carl Hagelin have been recalled from Connecticut (AHL) in anticipation of Deveaux’s absence. I suspect Mitchell, for sure, will be in the lineup today and it wouldn’t shock me if Hagelin was as well. The other fourth-liners from Wednesday’s game, Brian Boyle and Sean Avery, would probably be the first options for a healthy scratch if coach John Tortorella decides to play both call-ups.
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Tags: Andre+Deveaux, Carl+Hagelin, Florida+Panthers, John+Mitchell, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
Not to be Taken Lightly
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/23/11 at 10:31 AM ET
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That is exactly the attitude the New York Rangers should take tonight when they take on the Florida Panthers tonight in Florida at the BankAtlantic Center.
The Panthers are currently leading the Southeast Division and are showing that they are a tough team to play against. They are a club that never gives up, knows how to battle back and can put the puck in the net.
Much like the Blueshirts, the Panthers have also played terrific hockey in their last seven games, having won five of them. They are also off to one of their best starts in franchise history at 11-6-3 with 25 points.
With all of that in mind, the Blueshirts will need to do everything in their power to play a smart road game. For the Rangers, that means staying out of the box, getting an early lead, playing smart in their own end and getting good goaltending.
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Tags: Florida+Panthers, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
Bound To Happen
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/21/11 at 07:59 AM ET
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This describes the game between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
The club did not have their legs, failed to put any real offensive pressure on Canadiens’ netminder Carey Price and certainly did not help netminder Martin Biron. All in all, it was a sloppy hockey game that with a 7-game winning streak, was going to happen sooner or later.
With that said, the team is going to need to put this one out of their minds fast as they have a tough schedule coming up. The team will be in Florida on Wednesday night to take on the high-flying Florida Panthers followed by a game against the Washington Capitals on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and then the next day, the team will be home for a Saturday afternoon tilt with the Philadelphia Flyers.
This is exactly why the Blueshirts need to forget about Saturday night’s game and focus on their upcoming games against three really good hockey clubs. To win these games, the team’s offense will obviously need to step up and the defense will need to play more responsibly in their own end.
There is no reason to hit the panic button as this game needed to happen for the Rangers. They needed something to bring them back to reality and show them that they are nowhere near to being a perfect hockey team.
It is what it is so it is back to focusing on the hear and now for the Blueshirts.
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Tags: Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
New Capitals Book On the Way from Beat Writer Ted Starkey
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/06/11 at 10:52 AM ET
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Ted Starkey, one of the Washington Capitals’ beat writers for the Washington Times, was kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to tell us about a new book he is authoring on the Capitals: Transition Game: The Story of the 2010-11 Washington Capitals.
PH: So, you’re writing a book on last year’s version of the Washington Capitals. What are you looking to tell the readers about last year’s team?
TS: The book is a slice of life book, chronicling one of 30 stories in the National Hockey League. The book starts in Hershey as three key prospects - defensemen Karl Alzner and John Carlson, along with goaltender Michal Neuvirth - help the Bears rally from a 2-0 deficit against the Texas Stars to capture the Cup. The story then progresses through an NHL off-season and an up-and-down campaign that spanned from the highs of winning the Winter Classic and the top seed in the Eastern Conference to the lows of an eight-game losing streak that had Bruce Boudreau apparently wondering about his future.
It’s intended to show the long journey from camp to season’s conclusion, and all the sweat and effort that goes into an NHL season.
PH: What gave you the idea to write a book on the 2010-11 Capitals? What makes that team so intriguing to write about?
TS: From the end of the 2009-10 season, it was clearly going to be a different year in Washington with the Capitals being selected to play in the Winter Classic, which was made even more pronounced with the HBO series “24/7.” The mid-season regular-season game really began to overshadow the team well before the puck was dropped in Pittsburgh, and the change in playing style in the middle of filming.
I actually thought of the idea before the playoffs even began back in March. There were a lot of unique storylines to the team, and one that fans got to know a little of during the reality series. Thanks to some other good local writers and bloggers, I took my year’s worth of material and blended it with theirs, and also added some of the light shed on the team in the series to create a good picture of the club through the highs - and lows - of the season.
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Tags: Ted+Starkey, Transition+Game:+The+Story+of+the+2010-11+Washington+Capitals, Washington+Capitals,
Who Will Win Washington’s Crease?
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/19/11 at 07:00 AM ET
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This is a question that many Washington Capitals’ fans have probably been wondering about since the team went out and signed UFA Tomas Vokoun.
There is no doubt that Vokoun has been one of the league’s best goaltenders over the last few seasons. Year in and year out, his goals against average, save percentage, shutouts, and shots stopped rank among the league’s best. Unfortunately for Vokoun, his success in the regular season has all been for naught as he was not able to get the Florida Panthers into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in any of the four seasons he was there.
With that said, he may get the chance to play in the playoffs should he play well enough in the Capitals’ crease this season. He has a terrific team in front of him that knows how to play good defense and of course, score goals with the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Semin, Brooks Laich, Mike Knuble and a slew of others.
However, it is not necessarily a guarantee that Vokoun will be the Capitals’ No. 1 netminder. He will have to compete with Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby, two very good young goaltenders, for that coveted spot.
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Tags: Braden+Holtby, Michal+Neuvirth, Tomas+Vokoun, Washington+Capitals,
Should Boudreau Get Canned?
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/05/11 at 02:35 PM ET
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This is something I pondered over at RLD Hockey today.
You can either click here for more or continue below:
Is it Time for Boudreau to Go?
By Patrick Hoffman
Another year, another postseason in which the Washington Capitals do not advance past the second round. This has been the common theme for the Capitals under Head Coach Bruce Boudreau, and a theme that needs to stop if they want to have any chance of playing deep into May and early June.
For that to happen, Capitals GM George McPhee must make the difficult decision of letting Boudreau go.
Yes, Boudreau helped put the Capitals back on the map in the 2007-08 season. Yes, Boudreau helped this team to a Presidents’ Trophy one season ago. Yes, the Capitals made the playoffs every year under Boudreau’s tenure.
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Tags: Bruce+Boudreau, Washington+Capitals,
It’s Over
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/23/11 at 05:03 PM ET
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If you were watching the game, you could see that the Washington Capitals were poised to beat the New York Rangers this afternoon and move onto the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Capitals put plenty of pucks on net, forechecked hard, blocked a lot of shots and showed just how different a team they are in beating the Rangers 3-0 to win the series. This team can not only score timely goals, but they know how to play defense and a lot of credit needs to be thrown towards Capitals’ head coach Bruce Boudreau.
With that said, it is an unfortunate ending for the Blueshirts. The team got a terrific effort from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist once again but unfortunately, were not able to do much up front.
It will certainly be tough to swallow given the opportunity the Rangers had to win Games 1 and 4, both of which they lost in overtime. Like I mentioned in my blog earlier today, this series could have been much different had the Blueshirts won those games.
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Tags: Bruce+Boudreau, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
It’s Not Over Yet
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/23/11 at 09:59 AM ET
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That is the attitude that the New York Rangers have to take heading into this afternoon’s Game 5 against the Washington Capitals down 3-1 in the series.
Based on the way the Blueshirts have played this series, the series could be tied at two apiece or even 3-1 Rangers. Unfortunately, two overtime losses and a shutout loss have done the Rangers in this series.
This afternoon, the Rangers will need to figure out how to get a lead and then, of course, actually hold it this time. Before Wednesday night’s loss, the team had been 29-0 heading into the third period, which shows that the Rangers know how to play with a lead.
With that said, the team has had difficulty doing so in this series and even had trouble in Game 3 when they won 3-2. If this Stanley Cup Playoffs have shown anything, it is that no lead is safe and unfortunately, the Blueshirts are a victim of that.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Mistakes Can Be Costly Come Playoff Time
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/21/11 at 03:26 PM ET
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From great friend of the blog Rob Simpson at MSGNetwork.com:
Because of the severe momentum change, New York didn’t have a chance to re-establish their grinding style. There was no more punch, counter-punch by the two teams as seen earlier; it was more upper cut, left jab, right cross from the road team, as the ice tilted in their favor. Their opportunities mounted, and at the 12:07 mark of the third, rookie Marcus Johansson scored his second goal of the night and his second career playoff goal to knot the score at 3-3.
The tally came just moments after a Washington power play ended, moments after Sean Avery came out of the penalty box for slashing Alex Ovechkin.
Minutes later, the Rangers received their sixth power play of the night, and like all of the others, it appeared somewhat lacking. This man advantage did feature one great chance by Marian Gaborik, and resulted in Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth’s best save of the night.
Click here for more great thoughts on last night’s Rangers’ loss from Simmer.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Rob+Simpson, Washington+Capitals,
Slipping Away
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/21/11 at 08:43 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers did last night with their first round series against the Washington Capitals.
With a 3-0 lead heading into the third period, the Blueshirts allowed the Capitals to not only get back into the game and tie it a 3-3 in the third period, but then let it get away when the Capitals scored in the second overtime to defeat the Rangers 4-3.
This was a game that the Rangers had. They had scored two quick goals on the Capitals in the seciond period to make it 3-0 and were in control of the game heading into the final period.
Unfortunately, the team that skated in the first two periods failed to show up in the third period and the Capitals were able to walk all over the Blueshirts. Had it not been for the great goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist, the Capitals could have ended this game in regulation or even in the first overtime period.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Jason+Chimera, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
One Game At a Time, One Win at A Time
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/20/11 at 07:00 AM ET
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This is exactly what New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said prior to Game 3 against their First Round playoff opponent, the Washington Capitals. At the time, the Blueshirts were down 2-0 in the series.
Fast forward to today and the tide has turned a bit as the Rangers find themselves down 2-1 with a chance to tie the series. Should the Rangers do that, it will be a whole new series and the Capitals will more than likely start to feel the pressure.
With that said, the Rangers obviously need to win first. To do that, the team will need to continue to neutralize Alexander Ovechkin while also keeping others like Alex Semin, Mike Knuble, Nicklas Backstrom, etc. quiet as well.
While the Rangers have not been able to put the puck in the net a lot this series (4 goals in three games), the Capitals haven’t been exactly lighting thr lamp either having scored just 6 goals on Lundqvist. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Lundqvist has not had to be the focal point of this series. The team’s defense has made sure of that.
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Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin, Alex+Semin, Bruce+Boudreau, Henrik+Lundqvist, Mike+Knuble, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Back in The Series
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/17/11 at 07:38 PM ET
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Simply put, this afternoon’s Game 3 was one that the New York Rangers absolutely had to have against the Washington Capitals.
Luckily, the Blueshirts were able to pull out a gutsy 3-2 victory thanks to a late goal by Brandon Dubinsky. It’s a goal that makes the series 2-1 instead of 3-0 and one that gives the Rangers a huge opportunity come Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Prior to the Dubinsky goal, this seemed like another game that was destined for overtime. Mike Knuble knotted up the game at 2-2 on the power play when Marian Gaborik took a bad cross checking penalty.
This was a game where the Rangers were finally able to generate some scoring chances and get pucks through to Capitals’ netminder Michal Neuvirth. With that said, it seemed like most of the team’s good shots came during the many power play opportunities they were given, with only Erik Christensen able to cash in on one.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Michal+Neuvirth, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
What gives?
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/16/11 at 12:11 PM ET
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It appears that through the first two games against the Washington Capitals, the New York Rangers’ offense has gone missing.
This was especially apparent in the team’s 2-0 shutout loss last night in Washington. The team did not generate enough offense and did not put enough quality shots on Capitals’ netminder Michal Neuvirth.
On the other hand, the team did some good things defensively. The team’s defensive play allowed them to stay in the hockey game and give themselves a chance to win.
Unfortunately, the offense did not keep up their end of the bargain and ended up costing the team the hockey game. Something has to give right?
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Avery Returns to the Lineup for Game 2
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/15/11 at 12:56 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Jim Cerny at BlueshirtsUnited.com:
Following Friday’s morning skate at the Verizon Center, Rangers head coach John Tortorella announced that rugged winger Sean Avery—-a healthy scratch in Game One—-would be in the lineup tonight for Game Two against the Capitals, and that Mats Zuccarello would be scratched.
Torts had this to say of Avery: “When Sean is consistent with his play, he can add some forechecking to us. He should also add some energy to our lineup. Hopefully Sean adds some juice.”
Avery’s reaction to playing tonight?: “I’m ready to go. I don’t worry about anything. I am just ready to play hockey.”
Click here for more great Rangers’ content on tonight’s big Game 2.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery, Washington+capitals,
Turning Up the Offense
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/14/11 at 04:00 PM ET
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Over at RLD Hockey today, I discussed why the New York Rangers really need to get their offense going against the Washington Capitals if they have any hopes of getting out of the first round.
You can click here or continue below.
Blueshirts Need More Offense
By Patrick Hoffman
Everyone knows that come playoff time in the National Hockey League, goals are harder to come by. When you are a team that does not have a pure finisher, it is even harder to put the puck in the net. This is what happened in Game 1 between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, which was won by the Caps 2-1 in overtime.
The score sheet may say that the Rangers had 25 shots, but it certainly did not seem that way. The team had trouble generating quality scoring chances and whenever they did manage to get an open shot on Capitals netminder Michael Neuvirth, either Neuvirth was there to stop the puck or the Blueshirts’ missed the net entirely.
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Tags: Marian+Gaborik, Michal+Neuvirth, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Not Terrible, but Not Great Either
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/14/11 at 07:37 AM ET
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That would be the exact way to describe the New York Rangers’ play in their Game 1 2-1 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals.
The Blueshirts grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third when defenseman Matt Gilroy scored his first career playoff goal. Unfortuantely, the Capitals washed that out late in the third period when Alex Ovechkin forced one in at the side of the net passed a helpless Henrik Lundqvist.
This was definitely a game that the Rangers’ could have won by at least a 1-0 score. The team had done a terrific job of shutting down the Capitals’ big guns until Ovechkin tied it and Alex Semin won it in overtime.
With that said, this Blueshirts’ hockey team did not generate enough offense. Sure, the team took 25 shots but not enough of them were of the quality variety, which is something that the team will need to change going forward if they want to win this series.
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Tags: Alexander+Semin, Alex+Ovechkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Matt+Gilroy, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
And So It Begins
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/13/11 at 07:00 AM ET
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That’s right folks. The New York Rangers are in the playoffs and tonight is Game 1 between the Blueshirts and the No. 1 seed Washington Capitals.
The Blueshirts are back in the postseason for the first time in two seasons, when, you guessed it, they were knocked out of the first round in seven games by the Washington Capitals. Is this series about revenge?
The answer to that question is no. For the Rangers, this series is about playing to what their identity says there are, which is a hard working hockey club that never gives up.
To get off to a good start in this series, they will need their hard work and resilient style in what will be an extremely loud Verizon Center. For the past couple of seasons, the Washington Capitals have been one of the best teams on home ice (25 victories this season) and their fans can really help in big games.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brian+Boyle, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Vinny+Prospal, Washington+Capitals,
Well Deserved Playoff Berth and What They Need to do to Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/10/11 at 12:19 PM ET
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This can definitely be said when it comes to this year’s New York Rangers.
It was a roller coaster season for the Blueshirts that featured lots of injuries, some untimely losses as well as some inconsisten play. With that said, however, there was a lot more good than bad from the Rangers this season, which is why there is a possibility that they can make a long run in this year’s postseason.
To beat the No. 1 seed Washington Capitals, you have to first look at Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist. It is more than likely that Lundqvist will face a barrage of shot in the first round from the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Jason Arnott, Mike Knuble, Mike Green, John Carlson and others. Luckily for the Rangers’, Henrik was quite good against the Capitals this season in shutting them out twice and winning another.
The team will also need to get timely goal scoring. Guys like Brandon Dubinsky, Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal, Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan, Brian Boyle and even Brandon Prust will have to do everything they can to put the puck in the net.
This is especially true because the team will be without their heart and soul player, Ryan Callahan. Callahan was instrumental on the team’s power play, penalty kill and knew how to score when the team needed it the most. Certainly a big piece of the puzzle to replace at such an important time.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin, Alex+Semin, Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Brian+Boyle, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jason+Arnott, John+Carlson, Marian+Gaborik, Mike+Green, Mike+Knuble, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Bakcstrom, Vinny+Prospal, Washington+Capitals,
Original Six Tilt in Beantown
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/11 at 09:12 AM ET
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That is exactly what will be happening at 1 p.m. today as the New York Rangers will take on the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden in Boston.
The Blueshirts are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden while the Bruins are coming off a big 7-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. One team will be looking to score more goals while the toher will continue to do the things that made them successful in their last game.
As always, this is an extremely important game for the Rangers. Both the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes won last night so the Blueshirts are now just two points up on the eighth place Sabres. With a win this afternoon in Boston, however, the Rangers could end up tied with the Canadiens for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens take on the Washington Capitals tonight.
It will be interesting to see if Rangers’ forward Sean Avery will be in the lineup this afternoon. Based on reports from team beat writers at yesterday’s skate, it appears that there is a good chance that Avery will be back in the lineup. However, nothing was confirmed.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sean+Avery, Washington+Capitals,
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,
Rangers’ Shutout Capitals for the Second Time in Big 6-0 Victory
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/25/11 at 09:32 PM ET
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Going into tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals, many New York Rangers’ pundits and fans did not know what to expect. Both parties worried about the team being without Marc Staal and Marian Gaborik as well as facing a potentially potent Capital’s offense.
May be this was a good thing as the Blueshirts dominated the Capitals on the scoreboardc in a 6-0 shutout victory. Believe it or not, this was the Rangers’ second shutout over the Capitals this season as the team shut them out back in December in a 7-0 romping.
Besides picking up the shutout, the best thing to come out of this game for the Rangers’ was their success on the power play. The team went 2-for-3 on the man advantage with goals from Erik Christensen (he had two goals and an assist in the game) and Derek Stepan. Believe it or not, the team’s power play has been a lot better of late and that is because they are being more aggresive and throwing more pucks on the net. Hopefully this trend will continue for the Blueshirts.
Speaking of Christensen, he played like a man on a mission tonight. He had three points, was around the net a lot, he had four shots on goal, played on the power play and was effective. Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella needs more of this from Christensen as the team continues to build their playoff push.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Sauer, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+McDonagh, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Washington+Capitals,
Four Points On the Line This Weekend/Staal Injury Update
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/25/11 at 08:45 AM ET
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UPDATE: From Andrew Gross via Twitter:
Staal out Fedotenko in McDonagh paired with Girardi tonight for Rangers.
From Earlier: The New York Rangers are back in action tonight in Washington against the Washington Capitals after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday night.
It does not have to be said that this is once again a big game for the Blueshirts. The Rangers still sit in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the eighth place Carolina Hurricanes and six points ahead of the ninth place Buffalo Sabres.
At the other end, the Capitals are currently fifth in the East with 74 points and are just three poitns behind the Southeast Division leading Tampa Bay Lightning. As such, this game is just as important to the Capitals as it is to the Blueshirts.
The Blueshirts will be without Marian Gaborik this wekend as it is believed he suffered a concussion sometime before playing against the Philadelphia Flyers last Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants said the following regarding Gaborik:
Marian Gaborik (concussion) has reported he’s feeling better but there’s no timetable for his return. Gaborik did undergo blood work back in New York to see if there were any “deficiencies,” though Tortorella wasn’t exactly clear on what deficiencies they might be testing for.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ranger+Rants, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Pick Up Big 4-3 Shootout Victory over the Hurricanes
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/22/11 at 10:23 PM ET
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There was no question that the New York Rangers needed to come out of Carolina with two points tonight.
The team was able to do just that with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes after Wojtek Wolski tied the game with less than two minutes to go and then scored the game winner in the shootout to give the Blueshirts two big points in the Eastern Conference Standings. With the win, the team now has 68 points and is just one point behind the sixth place Montreal Canadiens.
This was a game that reminded me a lot of how the team was getting all those wins in the first half of the season. They worked extremely hard, threw pucks at the net (43 shots for the game), forechecked, got timely offense, solid goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist (30 saves) and ultimately, were able to get two big points.
The game had a playoff-like feel to it and the Blueshirts treated it as such. The team is going to have to do this for the rest of the season as the games are only going to get tougher as we get closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Washington+Capitals, Wojtek+Wolski,
Gaborik Update: Disappointing 4-2 loss for the Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/20/11 at 03:23 PM ET
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Marian Gaborik Update: From NBC’s NHL Extra Twitter Account:
An update on Marian Gaborik from earlier today, he left the game with a concussion.
From Earlier: In a game in which the New York Rangers outshot the Philadelphia Flyers 39-24, the Blueshirts managed to lose the game 4-2 at Madison Square Garden this afternoon.
A lot of credit has to be given to Flyers’ netminder Brian Boucher. Boucher was on top of his game in making 37 saves and was especially big in the third period when he stopped 14 of 15 Ranger shots.
With that said, however, this game was once again a perfect example of how the Blueshirts still lack some finish to their game. In the third period, Rangers’ forward Artem Anisimov could not get his stick on a cross crease pass on what could have been an easy goal.
Overall, it wasn’t a terrible game for the Blueshirts. They put plenty of pressure in the Flyers’ zone, put plenty of pucks on net but just couldn’t get the goal that mattered in the third period.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Atlanta+Thrashers, Brian+Boucher, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Washington+Capitals,
Some Thoughts on Ovechkin
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/03/11 at 04:30 PM ET
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Over at RLD Hockey, blogged about Washington Capitals’ sniper Alexander Ovechkin and his struggles.
You can either click here to go to the site and read it or you can continue below. Let me know what you folks think:
When talking about the game’s best players this season, hockey fans will hear names like Sidney Crosby, Steve Stamkos, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Martin St. Louis, Tim Thomas, Ryan Kesler, etc.
There is one key player that is not being talked about as much this season as he has been in past seasons: Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin.
This is quite a surprise given how he and Crosby are the faces of the ‘new’ NHL. For Ovechkin, it has been a rather unusal quiet season for someone who has 52 points (19 goals and 32 assists) in 51 games. Obviously, the glaring stat when it comes to ‘Ovie’ is his 19 goals. He’s on pace for just 30 goals, which would be the lowest total of his career.
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Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin, Washington+Capitals,
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,
Some More Observations from Last Night’s Win Over the Capitals
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/25/11 at 02:00 PM ET
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On this somewhat snowy day, I figured I would give you some more of my observations from last night’s 2-1 shootout victory by the New York Rangers over the Washington Capitals:
- New York Rangers’ netminder Martin Biron was calm, cool and collected in goal last night. Made the big saves when he had to and more importantly, was able to help his team pick up two points.
- Washington Capitals’ superstar Alex Ovechkin seems to be getting his game together. You could see it in his speed, the way he put pucks to the net and his overall effort. It would be nice to see him start scoring goals again on a consistent basis.
- The goal that tied the hockey game up for the Rangers was the perfect example that goals do not have to pretty. Just put the puck on net and anything can happen.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Blueshirts Get the Job Done Against the Capitals
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/25/11 at 08:20 AM ET
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When New York Rangers’ fans heard that Martin Biron was starting last night against the Washington Capitals, they all thought that head coach John Tortorella was giving the game away and hoping to pick up two points tonight against the Panthers.
As it turns out, they were wrong and the Blueshirts came away with a 2-1 shootout victory, thanks partly to some timely goaltending from Biron and a terrific defensive effort. The defense held the Capitals to just 23 shots and did a solid job of keeping the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Mike Knuble and others quiet on their way to another road victory.
Fifty-two minutes into the game, the Rangers were down 1-0 until Marian Gaborik tied it up when a Dan Boyle shot ffrom the top of the circle hit off Capitals’ netminder Braden Holtby and then deflected off Gaborik’s shoulder and in. It may not have been Gaborik’s prettiest goal but it was a goal that the team needed and a goal that will hopefully get Gaborik going offensively on a consistent basis.
In the shootout, the team got two great goals from Mats Zuccarello (4/4 in the shootout this season and in his career) and the eventual game winning goal from Artem Anisimov, his first ever shootout goal, giving the team its second straight shootout victory.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Holtby, Dan+Boyle, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Mats+Zuccarello, Mike+Green, Mike+Knuble, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Washington+Capitals,
Lineup UPDATE/Another Tough Test on Tap for the Blueshirts Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/24/11 at 08:57 AM ET
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UPDATE: Per New York Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross, goaltender Martin Biron will start tonight against the Washington Capitals:
Biron playing because Torts refuses to play Lundqvist 5 games in 7 nights. Why tonight vs. Caps and not tomorrow vs. Panthers? “Why not?”
To clarify: Marty Biron starting tonight vs. Capitals. Lundqvist should play tomorrow at MSG vs. Panthers.
EARLIER: It seems like every game these days is a test for the New York Rangers.
The test consists of questions such as:
- Can they overcome injuries to win a hockey game?
- Can they score enough goals to win a hockey game?
- Can head coach John Tortorella keep the lines consistent?
Well, more than half way through the season, it is easy to say that the team has passed each test they have been given. With that said, will the team pass the test they face tonight against the Washington Capitals?
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Atlanta+Thrashers, Brandon+Prust, Dan+Girardi, Evgeny+Grachev, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Michael+del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Better Defensive Effort Needed Tonight Fron the Rangers Against the Thrashers
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/22/11 at 12:00 PM ET
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After losing to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Thursday night, the New York Rangers have to put in a much better defensive effort in their game tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers.
The team allowed 39 shots on Thursday night, did not break up enough plays, and were often caught out of position. Had the team performed better on the defensive side of the puck on Thursday night, we could be talking a 4-1 win rather than a loss.
In looking at the Rangers vs. Thrashers game preview on the team’s web site, it seems that the team will be ready to deliver a much better defensive performance tonight against an offensive Thrashers hockey club.
“If we’re going to compete, especially in the second half of the season, we have to defend the proper way,” said Tortorella. “It has to be of the utmost importance to us. We have to defend first, and then work from there. So we have some work to do.”
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Time to Start Going Goals
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/19/11 at 08:29 AM ET
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With the New York Rangers having dropped three of their last four games all by one goal, the time has come for the team to start putting the puck in the net at the right time.
The team will get the chance to do that tonight when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in an original six matchup at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts need to come out and be offensive and aggressive for a full 60 minutes rather than just the last period of the hockey game, which was the case in back-to-back losses this weekend to the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. Had the team played the way they did in the third period on both nights, we could easily be talking about a three game winning streak.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Artem+Anismov, Atlanta+Thrashers, Carolina+Hurricanes, Derek+Stepan, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Mats+Zuccarello, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ranger+Rants, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Washington+Capitals, Wojtek+Wolski,
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,
UPDATE: Del Zotto a Healthy Scratch Tonight/Big Three Games in Four Nights for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/09/10 at 11:24 AM ET
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UPDATE: According to Ranger beat writer Andrew Gross’s Twitter, New York Rangers’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto is a healthy scratch tonight in Ottawa and that defenseman Matt Gilroy will be inserted into the lineup:
Michael Del Zotto a healthy scratch tonight for #NYRangers, Gilroy in. Henrik Lundqvist will be in net.
The New York Rangers have a busy next couple of days coming up with three games in four nights on tap for the Blueshirts.
It begins tonight in Ottawa where the Rangers will take on a Senators’ team that beat them at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night by a score of 3-1. It was a game in which the Rangers did not come out with the intensity that is needed to win a hockey game and it ended up costing them in the end.
What was also disappointing about that game was that the Senators were coming off a 1-0 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres the night before. The Blueshirts did not take advantage of the opportunity to beat a tired team and it’s a game that they needed to pick up two points in.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Look To Keep Capitals’ Offense in Check
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/09/10 at 09:32 AM ET
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Everyone knows what the Washington Capitals are going to come at you with: lots of offense, lots of shots, solid special teams and more often than not, two points at the end of the hockey game.
Tonight, the New York Rangers will try stymie the Caps’ offense at Madison Square Garden when the two clubs go at it at 7:30 p.m. For the Blueshirts, it’s going to take a huge team defensive effort to win this hockey game. They’ll have to do everything they can to allow their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to see the puckm force the Caps’ to shoot from the outside and not put themselves in a vulnerable position by taking penalties.
With that said, however, the team will also obviously need to put the puck in the net. As Blueshirts’ head coach John Tortorella pointed out on Sunday night after the team’s 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues, when opposing teams are able to stop the line of Brandon Dubinsky-Artem Anisimov-Ryan Callahan, then they could go on and win the hockey game.
As such, especially tonight, the team will need to come out firing on all cylinders and do everything they can to score the game’s first goal. If they are able to accomplish that, they’ll most likely go into defensive mode and focus on keeping the Caps’ at bay. Remember, the Caps’ boast offensive talents Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin, Mike Green, John Carlson, and even Brooks Laich.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Singing the Blues
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/08/10 at 10:16 AM ET
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In what was supposed to be a game in which the New York Rangers took advantage of a team playing in back-to-back games, it was instead a 2-0 shutout loss to the St. Louis Blues at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts looked very out-of-sync and one has to wonder if that was due to the shape of the Garden ice or to the team’s actual play. I would say it was a little bit of both as the puck was bouncing all over the place and the team had trouble getting the puck on their stick.
Unlike his first game at MSG, this loss cannot be blamed on back-up goaltender Martin Biron. Biron was strong between the pipes and did everything he could to give the team in front of him a chance to win the hockey game.
It must be said that guys like Derek Stepan, Derek Boogaard and Evegny Grachev did not play strong hockey games. Stepan looks snake bitten while Boogaard and Grachev look lost. It may be time to go back to the drawing board with these guys.
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Tags: Derek+Boogaard, Derek+Stepan, Evgeny+Grachev, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, St.+Louis+Blues, Washington+Capitals,
An e-mail interview with a Washington Capitals Writer - Ted Starkey
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/28/10 at 07:57 PM ET
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This evening, I was lucky enough to do an e-mail interview with a writer who covers the Washington Capitals for The Washington Times, Ted Starkey.
Starkey has covered the game for awhile under various outlets and was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to tell us about how he got into the game, how he got into covering the game, and his thoughts on this year’s edition of the Caps.
PH: How did you get into hockey?
TS: My father was from Buffalo, and he had played hockey growing up, so he took me to a Capitals-Sabres game in 1980 at the old Capital Centre when I was eight, and I was hooked. I ended up starting to play when a year later in Fairfax, Va., and then ended up playing travel hockey for the Northern Virginia Hockey Club through high school.
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Tags: Ted+Starkey, Washington+Capitals,
Another Day, another two points Gone
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/07/10 at 09:51 AM ET
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I know that the title is extremely negative but let’s face it folks, the New York Rangers have a tough task ahead of them when it comes to making the playoffs.
In last night’s 2-0 loss to the Eastern Conference leading Washington Capitals, the Blueshirts played well enough to win but unfortunately, were not able to put the puck in the net. When your backup goaltender (Alex Auld) makes 26 saves on 28 shots against an offensive team like the Caps, the least you can do is score a few goals for him.
Auld was solid last night and did everything he could to give his team a chance to pick up two points. He was poised, played the puck well and stopped the ones he needed to stop. Right now, he is certainly a better option than Chad Johnson or Steve Valiquette.
Marian Gaborik returned to the lineup and for someone who is not 100 percent, looked pretty darn good as he logged over 25 minutes in ice time and generated several scoring opportunities. However, when your star player is not 100 percent, your team needs to have other guys step up and put the puck in the net, something that did not happen last night.
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Tags: Alex+Auld, Buffalo+Sabres, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Auld, Gaborik in for Big Game Vs. the Caps
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/06/10 at 05:58 PM ET
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Good evening folks. The New York Rangers are back in action tonight as they take on Alex Ovechkin and the Caps.
The Blueshirts have shown that they can skate with the Caps this season and will be looking to do the same in tonight’s tilt in D.C. However, they will have to do it with Alex Auld in goal as he makes his Blueshirt debut.
Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella told the following to the team’s beat writers regarding Auld:
“It’s time for him to play, that’s a good way to put it,” Tortorella said. “This is a guy that has played in the NHL. The situation we had with our backups (rookies Chad Johnson and Matt Zaba), it’s best that we get them down there (to Hartford) to develop and in the stretch run here I think it’s a good thing for us to have a veteran guy we can use.”
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Tags: Alex+Auld, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
AO and the NHL: Made for each other
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/26/10 at 03:08 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog JP and Japers’ Rink:
“Every Canadian dreams of playing like Ovechkin” - Bobby Clarke
“He plays like a Canadian!” - Don Cherry
“Ovechkin does not play like a Russian. He plays like an NHL player.” - Vladislav Tretiak
Three quotes from three men who have each logged more than forty years in the game of hockey, all saying the same thing: Alex Ovechkin doesn’t play the game like any Russian they’ve ever seen. And while Clarke’s and Cherry’s quips were clearly intended to convey a level of admiration and respect, Tretiak’s observation came across as anything but complimentary; Tretiak’s comment was a warning..
Click here for more from JP.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Washington+Capitals,
More Attention on Kovalchuk than Ovechkin Last Night at MSG
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/05/10 at 01:45 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Jim Cerny at Rink Rap:
Just 24 hours prior Thrashers GM Don Waddell had released information that Kovie rejected a pair of mega-deals—-$101 million over 12 years, $70 mill over seven years—-and was opting to head to UFA status this summer. As a result, Waddell announced that Kovie would be traded.
But to whom? And how soon?
Speculation flew around the press room at The Garden as reporters checked in with sources, shared what they had heard, and probably made up a few rumors, as well. I made a note to myself that it just seemed funny there was little to no chatter about the upcoming game at MSG, and Kovie’s name was mentioned a heckuva’ lot more than Ovie’s.
What followed was one wild night, just a great fun night to be a hockey reporter. The Rangers and Caps played an exciting seesaw contest where goals and the power play ruled the day in a 6-5 Washington victory.
Click here for more thoughts on the Kovalchuk deal.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Atlanta+Thrashers, Illya+Kovalchuk, Jim+Cerny, Rink+Rap, Washington+Capitals,
More Positives Than Negatives
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/05/10 at 08:55 AM ET
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Last night’s New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals game was a barn burner, eh?
The Blueshirts were able to put five past Capitals’ netminder Jose Theodore and yet, still came away with a 6-5 loss.
This was a game where offensively, the Blueshirts were clicking. They scored four power play goals, they put pucks to the net, went to the dirty areas to score and looked confident, something Ranger fans have not seen in the past couple of months.
This is a game that the team should definitely be able to build off of going into another tough tilt tomorrow night, this time against Illya Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils. It will be interesting to see what kind of offensive dynamic Kovalchuk brings to the Devils. It certainly will not make them any easier to play against.
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Do They Have a Chance?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/04/10 at 09:05 AM ET
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This game could not come at a worse time for the New York Rangers as tonight, they take on the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden.
As most of the hockey world knows, the Caps’ are the NHL’s hottest team right now, winning 11 straight games. The Caps’ will obviously be looking to feast on the Blueshirts’ tonight with their high-powered offense.
Unfortunately, the Rangers do not have anything close to match the Caps’ offense so if the team is going to win tonight, they will have to do it with incredibly strong goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist and a strong defensive game.
What would be nice is if Olli Jokinen had is coming out party on Broadway and lit the lamp a few times tonight while other players such as Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky also put the puck in the net. Obviously, asking for five goals is crazy but hey, this team needs to do whatever it can to win a hockey game, right?
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
