Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: henrik+Lundqvist
Devils’ Late Goal Sinks Rangers’ Comeback Efforts
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/23/12 at 10:49 PM ET
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At the end of the day, it does not matter how many goals you allow as long as you are the team that has more when the final buzzer sounds.
In tonight’s Game 5 between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden, it was Devils’ forward Ryan Carter’s goal with less than five minutes to go in the hockey game that lifted the Devils to a 5-3 victory. The Devils’ defense may not have been great but in the end, it was their offense that got the crucial goal to give their team a 3-2 series lead.
For the Rangers, it was the things that happened both early and late in the game that hurt them the most. In the first period, the Devils scored three goals on six shots (Stephen Gionta, Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac) to go up 3-0 less than 10 minutes into the hockey game. Then, in the third period, Carter scored the Devils to put them up 4-3 after the Blueshirts had gotten themselves back into the game and that was followed by a Zach Parise empty net goal with 1:32 to go in the hockey game.
Had it not been for those 15-minutes, this could have been a Rangers’ victory. Even when the club was down 3-0, they did not quit and battled hard to tie the game as they got goals from Brandon Prust, Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik.
The team was also able to take advantage of a somewhat shaky Martin Brodeur (25 saves) to get back into the hockey game. With that said, Brodeur battled to the end and made the big saves late in the third period when it mattered most and more importantly, he put his team one victory away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Brandon+Prust, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Brodeur, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Patrik+Elias, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+Carter, Stephen+Gionta, Travis+Zajac,
The Script Remains The Same
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/21/12 at 10:43 PM ET
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This appears to be the case for the New York Rangers as the team dropped Game 4 at the Prudential Center to the New Jersey Devils by a score of 4-1.
For the third straight series, the Blueshirts will go into Game 5 tied with their opponent. While this probably should not have happened against both the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals, the Rangers certainly deserve this fate after the way they played tonight.
The Blueshirts came out extremely flat in the first period and paid for it. The Devils picked-up two goals (Bryce Salvador and Travis Zajac) and were outshot 12-9 in the process. Had it not been for the strong play of Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist (26 saves), the period could have been much worse for the Blueshirts.
The team also racked up 41 minutes in penalties. While it was good to see the Rangers play a physical brand of hockey, spending that much time in the penalty box does not help anyone and only takes your best players off the ice for an extended period of time, something the Rangers cannot afford to do on any given night.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Bryce+Salvador, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Travis+Zajac, Washington+Capitals, Zach+Parise,
Time to Go Off Script
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/21/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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For the New York Rangers, this postseason has been a story of deja vu.
There have been many similarities in each round from the number of games played, to the goal scorers in each game as well as the general outcome of each tilt. While this is certainly interesting, it is time for the Blueshirts to go off script.
In each series, the Rangers have taken a 2-1 series lead into Game 4 only to lose both times to the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals, respectively. In fact, only once in this whole postseason have the Rangers been able to win two straight games and that was back in Games 6 and 7 of their first round series against the Senators.
The Blueshirts are coming off a game in which they were badly outplayed by the New Jersey Devils, except for a portion of the third period when they got two quick goals from Dan Girardi and Chris Kreider. Luckily, the team got a terrific 36-save performance from their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist as he made extremely timely saves against the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique and others.
The Rangers were also very lucky that the goal posts were on their side on Saturday afternoon. The Devils hit four of them and had at least one gone in, it could have been a much different hockey game.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Adam+Henrique, Brad+Richards, Chris+Kreider, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Kovalchuk, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Travis+Zajac, Washington+Capitals, Zach+Parise,
Heads or Tails?
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/19/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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That is what this Eastern Conference Finals series is between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils because picking which team will advance to the Stanley Cup Final is like flipping a coin.
On one side, you have the No. 1 seed Blueshirts. These Rangers work hard, block a lot of shots, play physical, get great goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist and yet, have not been able to take control of a series for three straight rounds.
On the other side, you have the No. 6 seed Devils. These Devils have speed, know how to put a net front presence in front of Lundqvist, have many two-way players, and have a future hall of fame netminder in Martin Brodeur.
This is why it makes perfect sense that heading into this afternoon’s Game 3 at the Prudential Center, this series is tied up. In Game 1, the Blueshirts rode a three goal third period and the perfect goaltending of Lundqvist to a 3—0 shutout. In Game 2, the Devils fought hard all game long, used deflections to beat Lundqvist and got great goaltending from Brodeur.
For the Rangers to win this game, a number of things need to happen. For starters, the Blueshirts need offense. Guys like Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, and Ryan Callahan need to start scoring like they did in the regular season.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Rangers Fail To Take Control for Third Straight Round
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/16/12 at 11:19 PM ET
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This is starting to become a familiar story for the New York Rangers in this postseason as the team finds themselves tied with their opponent after two games for the third straight round.
This opponent, the New Jersey Devils, went into Madison Square Garden and played a solid road game in earning a 3-2 victory to even up the series. The Devils got timely goal scoring, got another good game from their goaltender Martin Brodeur and did a good job of closing the door late in the third period to get the big victory.
For the Blueshirts, this was once again a game that they could have won. Rangers’ rookie Chris Kreider scored his fourth goal of the playoffs on a power play that gave the Rangers’ a 2-1 lead with just over 8 minutes left to go in the second period.
With the way Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist has been playing this postseason, one might think that would be enough to get the Rangers a victory and a 2-0 series lead. That did not happen as the Devils’ scored with just over two minutes to go in the second period to tie it (deflection by Ryan Carter) and a goal 2:31 in the third period (David Clarkson) to get a lead they would never relinquish.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Chris+Kreider, David+Clarkson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jim+Cerny, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Carter,
Time To Take Control
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/16/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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This is what the New York Rangers need to do tonight in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Finals series with the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden.
With the Blueshirts coming off a 3-0 victory in Game 1 and the 1-0 series lead, the Rangers should try and do everything they can to take control of this series. Through the first two rounds, it never felt like the Rangers had the series well within their grasp and while this series is in no way easy for the team, they should be able to grab control of this series in a hurry if things go their way.
For starters, Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist is more than just on top of his game. While he did not face as many shots (21) as Devils’ Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur (27) did, Lundqvist made the big saves when he had to and was especially good in the second period when he made 10 saves, many of them of the difficult variety.
Secondly, the team has its forechecking game going again. This was evident on the team’s first goal by Dan Girardi when Chris Kreider got to the puck first and fed Girardi for the one timer and it was also apparent as the team won many puck battles along the boards.
It should also be mentioned just how good the Rangers’ defense has been in their last two games. The team held the Devils to just 21 shots in the game and 4 in the last period on Monday night in Game 1 and in Game 7 on Saturday night against the Washington Capitals in the third period, they held up the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Brooks Laich, Marcus Johansson, and Mike Green and gave them very little room to maneuver or shoot the puck.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Alexander+Semin, Alex+Ovechkin, Brooks+Laich, Chris+Kreider, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marcus+Johansson, Martin+Brodeur, Mike+Green, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Take Game 1
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/14/12 at 10:45 PM ET
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If you are or have been a fan of either the New York Rangers or New Jersey Devils for the past 20 years or so, than Game 1 between the two clubs in the Eastern Conference Finals was a very familiar story.
The Blueshirts were able to come away with a 3-0 victory thanks to third period goals from defenseman Dan Girardi, fresh out of college winger Chris Kreider and Artem Anisimov and solid goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. For the Rangers, it was the fifth time that the team has shutout the Devils in the postseason as Rangers’ great Mike Richter shut out their Hudson River rivals once in 1992 (Game 4), once in 1994 (Game 2) and twice in 1997 (Games 2 and 4).
This was a typical Rangers’/Devils’ game. There was lots of tight checking, lots of blocked shots, and with the exception of the third period, not a lot of goals were scored. It was like a regular season game except for the fact that this is now the Conference Finals.
For the second time in as many games, the Blueshirts outplayed their opponent in the third period. The team forechecked hard, threw plenty of pucks on Devils’ Hall of Fame netminder Martin Brodeur (25 saves) and were able to not only get the first goal of the game, but they followed it up with an insurance marker just a few minutes later.
Rangers’ rookie Chris Kreider was involved on both goals. On Girardi’s goal, it was Kreider who carried the puck into the Devils’ zone and was able to feed Girardi, who was coming off the bench on a line change, with the puck who buried one past Brodeur’s right pad.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Artem+Anisimov, Chris+Kreider, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Brodeur, Mike+Richter, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
Battle of the Hudson Part 6
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/14/12 at 10:13 AM ET
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For hockey fans in New York and New Jersey, the Eastern Conference Finals could not be a more perfect scenario.
Tonight, the Eastern Conference Finals get underway between the No. 1 seed New York Rangers and No. 6 seed New Jersey Devils. This will be the sixth time the two Hudson River rivals go at it in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Rangers winning four of the five series’s.
The Blueshirts are coming off their second Game 7 victory of the 2012 postseason as they were able to finally knock out the Washington Capitals in the postseason after failing to do so in 2009 and 2011. The Rangers came through when they needed to and showed that when they are under a ton of pressure to win a hockey game, they can come through with flying colors.
Across the river, the New Jersey Devils just shocked the No. 5 seed Philadelphia Flyers by beating the Broadstreet Bullies in just five games. The Devils’ defense was tremendous in shutting down one of the top offenses in the league and are now in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2003 season when they won the Cup.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
That Old Feeling: Rangers Advance to Conference Finals to Take on The Devils
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/13/12 at 10:33 AM ET
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I am sure that this is something many of you New York Ranger fans are getting after the team defeated the Washington Capitals in Game 7 last night to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will take on the New Jersey Devils.
Obviously, this is similar to 1994. While it did not take 7 games in 1994 to knock out the Capitals in the second round, the Rangers still came through with the win to advance to take on Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils.
18 years later, Brodeur is still the man between the pipes in New Jersey and has three Stanley Cups on his Hall of Fame resume. With that said, the Rangers team he will be facing this season is much different than the one he faced as a rookie in 1994.
Back to the Blueshirts. The Blueshirts have shown time and time again this season that when they need to win, they get it done.
Last night, the Rangers played “Ranger hockey” and got timely goal scoring, great goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, played great defense, got in on the forecheck, blocked a lot of shots and won the game. This is what made the team so successful in the regular season and when they have played this way in the postseason, they have been able to come through with a victory.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Brodeur, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Why the Rangers Will Win Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/12/12 at 10:00 AM ET
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When it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there is nothing like the excitement, nervousness and other emotions that come to life in a Game 7.
Tonight, the New York Rangers and their passionate fans will be experiencing all kinds of feelings when they take on the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden.
For both the Rangers and Capitals, this game marks the second seventh game of the postseason that they will be participating in. The first time around, the Rangers were able to beat the No. 8 seed Ottawa Senators by a score of 2-1 while the Capitals, the No. 7 seed, were able to beat the No. 2 seed Boston Bruins in overtime by the same score of 2-1.
While the Capitals’ have had success against the Rangers in Game 7’s before, this year will be different and for the first time since the 1996-97 season, the Blueshirts will be headed to the Eastern Conference Finals. Here are the reasons why:
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Washington+Capitals,
Game 7 It Is
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/09/12 at 10:08 PM ET
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With their 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 6 at the Verizon Center tonight, the New York Rangers now have to prepare themselves for their second straight series with a Game 7 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
This should not come as a surprise given the way the Blueshirts played tonight. There was not enough urgency, some sloppy play in their own zone and overall, it did not look like a full team effort tonight.
It also did not help that the team was put behind the eighth ball just over a minute into the hockey game when Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin scored a power play goal. Just 1:13 into the tilt, Capitals’ hard-working forward Jason Chimera was taken down by Rangers’ defenseman Anton Stralman, which led to the Capitals’ power play and ultimately, the 1-0 lead.
Chimera was a factor on his team’s second goal as he picked up his fourth goal of the postseason. This is a player that plays hard all of the time, has terrific speed, and has shown that he has some offensive skill, something that the Rangers’ pluggers need to start showing like they did during the regular season.
The only player that seemed to show up tonight for the Blueshirts was goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 21 saves in a losing effort and did everything he could to give his team a chance to win a hockey game.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Alex+Ovechkin, Anton+Stralman, Braden+Holtby, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jason+Chimera, New+York+Rangers,
Late Penalty Hurts Blueshirts Again in Game 4 Loss to Capitals
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/05/12 at 03:06 PM ET
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Much like it did in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden, a late penalty taken by the New York Rangers turned into the game-winning goal for the Washington Capitals in a 3-2 win in Game 4 at the Verizon Center.
This time, the culprit for the Blueshirts was Carl Hagelin. Hagelin took a two minute slashing penalty and Capitals’ defenseman Mike Green took advantage and ripped a slap shot past Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
For the Rangers, this game was a tale of two different teams. On one side, the Rangers’ played like a team that would rely on its goaltender Lundqvist to make timely save after timely save as well as a team that had no offense to supply.
On the other side, the Rangers played like a club that was willing to go to the net, get goals from the dirty areas and play disciplined hockey. Unfortunately for the Rangers, neither of these teams prevailed as the series will now head back to the Garden for Game 5 tied at two games apiece.
On the bright side, the team got a great performance from Artem Anisimov. Anisimov, who had been quiet for much of these playoffs, picked-up a goal and an assist and was more than present in this hockey game.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Artem+Anisimov, Carl+Hagelin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Mike+Green, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Washington+Capitals,
Gaborik Comes Through in Triple OT
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/03/12 at 08:41 AM ET
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There was no doubt that going into last night’s Game 3 between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center, Blueshirts’ 41-goal scorer Marian Gaborik was having trouble putting the puck in the net.
Well, that changed last night and did so in very dramatic fashion. Gaborik scored a goal in the third overtime off a nice feed from Brad Richards to give his hockey club the 2-1 victory and a 2-1 series lead.
For the Blueshirts, it was their first triple overtime win since 1971 when they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden on a goal by Pete Stemkowski. The win also marked the Rangers’ first victory at the Verizon Center in the playoffs since Game 2 of 2009.
This was a game that could have gone either way. Both teams certainly played well enough to win but because Gaborik was able to come through and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was able to make one more save than Capitals’ netminder Braden Holtby, the result turned out to be in favor of the Rangers.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Braden+Holtby, Brad+Richards, Chicago+Blackhawks, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Pete+Stemkowski, Washington+Capitals,
Focusing on Round 2
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/27/12 at 11:34 AM ET
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The New York Rangers will be doing just that tomorrow afternoon at Madison Square Garden as the team begins its second round series against the Washington Capitals.
For the Blueshirts, this playoff match-up has no surprises. The two teams met in both the 2009 and 2011 postseason and both times, the Capitals came away with the series victory.
The main difference is the seeding of these two clubs. The Rangers finished in the top spot in the Eastern Conference while the Capitals took the seventh seed.
For the Rangers to be successful in this series, the team will need to once again play “Ranger hockey”. The club will need to be all over the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Brooks Laich. As such, the Blueshirts should be prepared to block a ton of shots this series.
On the other side, the Rangers’ big offensive players need to step up and produce. Marian Gaborik really needs to start scoring some goals while others like Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider must continue to find ways to generate offense.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Alexander+Semin, Alex+Ovechkin, Braden+Holtby, Brad+Richards, Brooks+Laich, Chris+Kreider, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, Washington+Capitals,
Blueshirts Off to the Second Round
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/26/12 at 10:11 PM ET
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For the first time since the 2007-08 season, the New York Rangers are off to the second round after defeating the Ottawa Senators by a score of 2-1 in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers played “Ranger hockey” by blocking a ton of shots, playing physical, getting timely goal scoring and big-game goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist (26 saves). It was a style that they need to play tonight in order to win this tilt and luckily, the Rangers were able to implement it perfectly.
For starters, a lot of credit has to be given to the Rangers’ defense. Not only did they block a ton of shots and break up many passes, but they also helped score the only two goals of the game as both Marc Staal and Dan Giradi were able to put the puck in the net in the second period.
The line of Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan also had themselves a terrific game. While he has only played in five NHL games, Kreider is showing that he belongs in the NHL. He has speed, he has size, he has strength and soft hands, all skills that will make him a very, very, good NHLer.
Stepan, after not scoring a point in the first five games of the series, finished up the first round with 5 points (1G 4A). He is playing with a lot more confidence and is getting a lot of scoring chances playing with Callahan and Kreider.
Callahan played like a captain should always play. He played hard, physical and was able to help this team get into the second round of the postseason.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Boston+Bruins, Chris+Kreider, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, Washington+Capitals,
What the Rangers Need to do to Win Game 7
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/26/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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While the NHL regular season does not mean much when it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there are things that a team did during the regular season that helps when it comes to playing in hockey’s second season.
This is the case when it comes to the New York Rangers. Tonight, the Rangers will host Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Ottawa Senators. It is the Rangers’ first Game 7 at Madison Square Garden since they won Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks in 1994 in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Rangers were extremely successful in the regular season and the three games they won in their series against the Senators because they played “Ranger Hockey”. Ranger hockey is something that team head coach John Tortorella came up with and it has worked to a ‘T’ when implemented correctly.
For starters, playing Ranger hockey is all about having a team first mentality. This means that playing a physical brand of hockey and blocking shots are almost mandatory and when the Rangers have won in this series, they have done both extremely well.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Brad+Richards, Brandon+Prust, Brian+Boyle, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh,
Rangers Play Their Game to Extend Series to 7
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/23/12 at 09:48 PM ET
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When the New York Rangers play within themselves and play their style of hockey, they are an extremely tough team to beat.
The Blueshirts proved that tonight by beating the Ottawa Senators by a score of 3-2 in Game 6 to tie the series up at three apiece. The two teams will have two days off before meeting on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden for a Game 7.
The Rangers played the game the right way tonight and the way that they played all season long. They were able to capitalize on their power play opportunities, got good performances from the likes of Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider and were able to hold onto a two-goal third period lead. These are the things that made the Rangers successful in the regular season and proved tonight by playing this style of hockey, they can win games when they need to and when it counts.
There is a lot to be said about the play of Kreider. Kreider came to the Blueshirts after winning a National Championship with Boston College and has done nothing but stay in the lineup and show that he can play in the NHL.
Tonight, Kreider picked-up his first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal, a game-winning goal, in an extremely meaningful game. For the Blueshirts, tonight’s tilt was a do or die situation and Kreider came through looking like a veteran rather thank a rookie playing in just his fourth NHL/playoff game.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Brad+Richards, Chris+Kreider, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Vancouver+Canucks,
The Pressure Is On
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/21/12 at 11:19 AM ET
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This is exactly what the case is for the New York Rangers as they get set to take on the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 tonight at Madison Square Garden.
As a number one seed taking on an eighth seed, the Blueshirts and Senators are tied at two games apiece. While this fact may surprise many of you, it is actually quite easy to see why this series is tied heading into tonight’s huge tilt.
The Senators have been going hard to the net, making life miserable for Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist when it comes to him seeing the puck, and putting a ton of offensive pressure on the Rangers’ defense. They are also finding ways to get back into games when they are losing.
Tonight, the Blueshirts need to take some of the Senators’ game and make it their own. There needs to be more offense, more pressure on Senators’ Craig Anderson and they need to do a better job of sustaining offense in the Senators’ zone.
While all this sounds easy for the Rangers to do, it will not be. Yes, the team will have the home crowd on their side and yes, they are still expected to win this series.
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Tags: Craig+Anderson, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Stanley+Cup+Playoffs+2012,
Evened Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/19/12 at 10:10 AM ET
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That is exactly what the first round Stanley Cup Playoff series is between the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators after last night’s 3-2 overtime victory for the Senators.
The Rangers let an early 2-0 lead slip away as well as a 2-1 series lead and now, they will head back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 tied up thanks to Senators’ forward Kyle Turris, who scored the game winner in overtime for his hockey club. Everyone knew that this series was not going to be easy for the Blueshirts and right now, the team is proving just that.
With that said, the Senators are doing everything right when it comes to their game. They are throwing plenty of pucks on Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist,l creating lots of traffic in front of the net, playing a physical brand of hockey and for the most part, doing a good job of allowing their netminder Craig Anderson to see the puck.
What’s concerning is the Rangers’ inability to hold a lead in this series. They struggled with it in Game 2 and now again last night, something that they did not do much of in the regular season.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Craig+Anderson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Kyle+Turris, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators,
Just Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/18/12 at 09:23 AM ET
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When it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the only thing that matters is winning hockey games.
It does not matter how you do it, if it was ugly or easy or if you were outplayed. The only thing that matters is subtracting from that number 16.
Tonight, the Rangers will look to cut their number to 13 as they get set to take on the Ottawa Senators in Game 4 tonight at Scotiabank Place. Should the Blueshirts win tonight, they will be able to close out the series in Game 5 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
With Blueshirts’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist in the zone, the team will need to find a way to provide more offensive support for their superstar netminder. The “King” had to be perfect on Monday and the team was lucky he was as they scored just one goal (Brian Boyle) the entire game.
Players like Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky need to start producing. These guys were shut down by the Senators in Game 3 and have been quiet since their performances in Game 1.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+senators, Ryan+Callahan,
Lundqvist Wins Game 3 for the Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/16/12 at 11:37 PM ET
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Just like he did during the regular season, New York Rangers’ superstar goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was the main reason why the Rangers won a hockey game.
Only this time, Lundqvist was the main reason why the Blueshirts won a playoff game in making 39 saves to shutout the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 at Scotiabank Place. The win gives the Rangers a 2-1 series lead, a lead that they will look to extend on Wednesday night in Game 4.
Simply put, Lundqvist was outstanding tonight. He made the first save, second save and on occasion, the third save when he needed to help keep his team in the hockey game.
The “King” was especially good in the third period when he stopped 14 Senators’ shots. He made an outstanding save on a rebound shot from in close by Senators’ forward Kyle Turris which ended up sealing the shutout victory for the Blueshirts.
Had Lundqvist not been as good as he was tonight, this game could have been a much different story for the Blueshirts. The team had trouble generating sustained offense in the Senators’ zone and once again showed that they like to pass off good shooting opportunities.
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Tags: Brian+Boyle, Henrik+Lundqvist, Kyle+Turris, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators,
Rangers Look for Game 1 Success to Carry Over into Game 2
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/14/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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Given the way that they played Game 1, the New York Rangers have every reason to come into tonight’s Game 2 with the Ottawa Senators in a very cocky manner.
However, that would not be this year’s team style. Throughout the regular season, the Blueshirts never let themselves get too high or too low and because of that attitude, it allowed them to stay focused on the task at hand.
Tonight’s task for the Rangers will be to play the same exact way they did in Game 1. This means getting good goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, getting big goals from their goal scorers in Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan, getting secondary offense from their depth players and playing disciplined.
On the other hand, there are some things that the Rangers could probably do better in tonight’s game. For starters, they need to generate more scoring opportunities on the power play. As most Rangers’ fans know, the team’s power play was inconsistent (that might be an understatement) throughout the regular season and often killed any momentum that they had until they started to click down the stretch. Special teams play is crucial in the postseason so the Rangers need to take advantage of any such chances they get this playoff season.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Craig+Anderson, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan,
Rangers’ Offense Comes Up Big in Game 1 Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/12/12 at 09:50 PM ET
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Coming into the series between the New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators, no one really knew what to expect except for what was on paper.
In Game 1 tonight at Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers showed their fans and the league why they finished where they did in defeating the Ottawa Senators by a score of 4-2. For a Senators team that had dominated the Blueshirts at MSG the last few seasons, this was a nice change for Blueshirts’ fans.
There are several reasons why the Rangers won tonight’s game. For starters, the team got goals from players that are supposed to score goals. Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, and Brad Richards all scored for the Blueshirts while the team also got a goal from hard-working forward Brian Boyle.
The team’s defense was also terrific for the Rangers’ tonight. As expected, the team came out and blocked a lot of shots, broke up a lot of passes, and let their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist see the puck.
Speaking of Lundqvist, he was solid in making 30 saves on 32 Senators’ shots. There is no doubt that he kept the team in the lead at 1-0 in the first 10 minutes of the second period and in general, made the big saves when the team needed him to do so.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan,
So It Begins
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/12/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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Well folks, it is finally here. The New York Rangers embark on their playoff journey tonight as they get set to take on the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.
A lot has been said and debated regarding this series and for now, it is time to put that all aside. Believe it or not, what was said means absolutely nothing because as fans, you do not and cannot control what will go on the ice in this series.
While this series looks easy for the Blueshirts based on the regular season standings, it will not be such once it begins. Remember, the Senators won the regular season series 3-1 and while it may mean nothing now, there is no doubt that the Senators have a history of giving the Blueshirts trouble.
The Senators know how to put the puck in the net. With players like Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek, Erik Karlsson, there is no doubt that the Senators will be able to generate some offense on Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist.
With that said, the Blueshirts know how to play defense. They block shots, they play the body, they know how to move the puck out of the zone and were third in the league in goals against.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Daniel+Alfredsson, Derek+Stepan, Erik+Karlsson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jason+Spezza, Marian+Gaborik, Milan+Michalek, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan,
Lundqvist Enjoying His Time in New York
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/11/12 at 12:52 PM ET
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From Ken Baker at NHL.com:
Lundqvist, who is 30 and entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs after his most statistically remarkable regular season (1.97 goals-against average .930 save percentage), says, “I’d like to play another ten years, maybe more. But, with injuries, you never know. That’s why you just have to enjoy the moment.”
The latest moment for the Swede to soak in will come Thursday in the opening game of New York’s first-round series against the No. 8 seeded Ottawa Senators.
Lundqvist’s moment-savoring approach to his sport was on full display Monday as he prepares for the matchup. In an hour-long, fast-paced practice in which head coach John Tortorella barks throughout—and goalie coach Benoit Allaire dissects his star pupil—the All-Star goalie does what all elite athletes do: make the difficult look easy.
Click here for more on the “King”, Henrik Lundqvist.
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Tags: 2012+Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+rangers,
Not the way to Go Into the Postseason
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/08/12 at 11:09 AM ET
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While it is great that the New York Rangers finished first in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, last night’s performance against the Washington Capitals in a 4-1 loss at Madison Square Garden is not acceptable.
In the first period, the team was irresponsible on defense and got some questionable goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, which led to a 3-0 deficit after the first period. Lundqvist did not look like himself between the pipes as the first goal he allowed to Capitals’ team captain Alex Ovechkin should have been stopped and on the Capitals’ third goal, he looked completely lost.
The team’s first period ultimately took the team out of the hockey game. This was a game that the Rangers could have used to go into the postseason on a high note and as Presidents’ Trophy winners but simply put, it was not meant to be for the Blueshirts last night.
On a positive note, the team was able to create several good scoring opportunities on Capitals’ netminder Braden Holtby but Holtby was more than up to the task in making 35 saves. The Capitals’ will need more goaltending like that from Holtby if they want to beat the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Braden+Holtby, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Washington+Capitals,
Update/Rangers Set to take on the Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/05/12 at 09:51 AM ET
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UPDATE: According to Pat Leonard of the Daily News, Martin Biron will be in goal tonight for the Blueshirts:
Same #NYR lineup, Martin Biron in net vs #Pens. So Mike Rupp stays in.
FROM EARLIER
While the New York Rangers have already clinched the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, the team still has two games left against two solid hockey clubs.
Tonight, the Blueshirts will be in Pittsburgh to take on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. While the game has little significance for both clubs, it should still end up being a good hockey game between two clubs that are looking to get their game in order before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin next week.
It will be interesting to see who the Rangers go with in goal as starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist has a bruised right arm after hurting it against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. After the game, he said he had trouble gripping the stick so if I am the Blueshirts, I would not hesitate to start back-up goaltender Martin Biron tonight.
Against the Penguins tonight, the Rangers should focus on shutting down both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Going into the playoffs, the Penguins will more than likely be the top offensive hockey club and if the Blueshirts can find a way to shut them down tonight, it will certainly be a confidence boost heading into the postseason.
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Tags: Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Top Spot in the Division and Conference
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/04/12 at 11:03 AM ET
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That is what the 2011-12 New York Rangers are in terms of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference this season.
With their 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers last night, the Blueshirts clinched the top spot in both their division and conference for the first time since 1994. Yes, we all know what happened that year but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
The Blueshirts jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period last night and never really looked back. Sure, they allowed the Flyers to score 3 goals and yes, Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist certainly had to come up big but for the most part, this game was won in the first period.
The team got solid performances from Marian Gaborik (1 goal and 1 assist), Ryan McDonagh (1 goal and 1 assist), Brad Richards (2 assists) and Lundqvist (37 saves on 40 shots). The other usual suspects such as Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and Brian Boyle also put forth solid efforts in the clinching victory.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, Washington+Capitals,
A Chance to Clinch the East Against the Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/01/12 at 11:50 AM ET
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Coming into the season, not many hockey pundits and fans alike knew what to expect of the New York Rangers.
Tonight, their questions could be answered. If the Rangers manage to beat the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden tonight and the Philadelphia Flyers manage to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins this afternoon, the team will finish the season as the No.1 team in the Eastern Conference.
The Blueshirts have won four straight games and come into tonight’s game as Atlantic Division leaders, Eastern Conference leaders and tied for first in the entire NHL. The team is starting to get consistent goal-scoring, Henrik Lundqvist is starting to look like himself in goal again and the team’s power play is starting click.
The Rangers also come into tonight’s tilt looking to sweep the season series against the Bruins. The team has won five straight games against their Original-Six rival and has won 9 of their last 11 games against the Bruins as well.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Rangers Continue To Roll
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/30/12 at 10:13 PM ET
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They may have already clinched a playoff spot and they may have somewhat of a tight grip on the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference but the New York Rangers are on a roll right now.
Tonight, the team won its 50th game of the year by beating the struggling Montreal Canadiens by a score of 4-1 at Madison Square Garden. The team got another strong performance out of both Marian Gaborik (1 goal and 1 assist) and Brad Richards (1 goal and 2 assists) while also getting the goaltending they needed from Henrik Lundqvist (19 saves on 20 shots).
Gaborik and Richards are on fire at the right time for their hockey club. Gaborik picked up his 39th goal of the season and added an assist while Richards added his 25th goal of the season as well as two assists.
It may have taken a long time for Gaborik and Richards to work well together on the same line but it just goes to show you that patience is everything in the NHL. Yes, Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella broke the pair up earlier in the season but was smart enough to put them together later on when their games were both going strong.
Another Rangers’ player who is on fire, believe it or not, is defenseman Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto picked-up 2 goals (his first 2-goal game of his career) and an assist and now has 10 goals and 31 assists for 41 points on the season.
While his defensive game still needs some work, Del Zotto has had a terrific bounce back season for the Blueshirts this year. He looks a lot more confident with the puck and his offensive game looks much like it did in his first season in the league back in 2009-10.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Steven+McDonald+Extra+Effort+Award,
King of The Hill
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/28/12 at 10:04 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers are tonight after their 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg.
This was a gutsy performance by a team that never quits. Tonight, the Blueshirts came back from a 2-0 deficit on goals by defenseman Michael Del Zotto (1 goal and 1 assist) and team captain Ryan Callahan (1 goal and 1 assist).
After that, it was the team’s scoring depth that took over the game. Brian Boyle (1 goal) scored the game-winning goal just over three minutes into the third period followed by a power play goal from Derek Stepan (1 goal).
It is performances like tonight that the Blueshirts are going to need if they want to succeed in the postseason. There could be nights when the likes of Marian Gaborik (2 assists) Brad Richards (1 assist) and even Callahan (1 goal and 1 assist) are shut down so when that happens, the team’s scoring depth needs to step up and take care of business.
Speaking of taking care of business, Rangers’ starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist did that tonight by stopping 22 of 24 shots for his 38th victory of the season. It was his 250th career win, which puts him tied for 44th on the all-time wins list by a netminder with the legendary Johnny Bower.
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Tags: Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Johnny+Bower, Michael+Del+Zotto, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Winnipeg+Jets,
Just Win Hockey Games
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/27/12 at 04:18 PM ET
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With the Minnesota Wild out of the Western Conference playoff hunt, the New York Rangers will look to go “wild” in Minnesota tonight and pick-up the two points that they need to keep pace in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
With no signs of slowing down, the Pittsburgh Penguins look like the team to beat in the NHL right now. They are just one point behind the Blueshirts for first in the division and conference and their next two games are against the New York Islanders.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The win helped the Rangers get over the 100-point mark for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
According to Andrew Gross of The Record, Rangers’ starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will make his sixth straight start. Lundqvist has not looked like himself between the pipes over the last few weeks so it is important that team head coach John Tortorella gives him a chance to get his game in order before the postseason begins.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, The+Record, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Finding Ways to Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/25/12 at 02:23 PM ET
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That has been the story for the New York Rangers all season long and has led them to the top spot not only in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, but also in the entire National Hockey League.
The Blueshirts proved once again last night that they can find ways to win without having their best stuff in a 4-3 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. It certainly was not their prettiest game but it was one in which they picked-up two more points to stay ahead of the charging Pittsburgh Penguins in the division and Conference.
Last night, the Blueshirts got a great performance from their leading scorer Marian Gaborik. Gaborik scored two goals (36 and 37) and was dominant offensively for his hockey club.
The team also got another solid performance out of Brad Richards. Richards picked-up two assists and also set up Gaborik’s terrific second goal of the game.
Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist made enough saves to give his team a chance to win a hockey game. He was not at his best and once again allowed three goals but made some great saves late in the third period and in the shootout to pick-up his 35th victory of the season.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, St.+Louis+Blues, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Winnipeg+Jets,
Not Making It Easy on Themselves
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/24/12 at 11:02 AM ET
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The New York Rangers are certainly doing that when it comes to the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference lead as the team dropped a 4-1 game to the Buffalo Sabres last night at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts ran into outstanding goaltending in Ryan Miller as Miller turned away 26 of 27 shots. With the win, the Sabres are now tied in points with the Washington Capitals, who currently hold down the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference.
With the loss, the Rangers now hold just a one point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins and a five point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. And with all three teams playing tonight, picking up two points against the Toronto Maple Leafs is a must if the Rangers want to hold onto the top spot.
The Rangers did not play terribly last night. They generated plenty of scoring opportunities but just could not put one behind Miller when it counted.
The team’s best player last night was defenseman Ryan McDonagh. There is no doubt that McDonagh has plenty of offensive ability and soon enough, fans are going to be able to see that on a regular basis.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Henrik+Lundqvist, Mats+Zuccarello, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+McDonagh, Ryan+Miller, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Clinch Playoff Spot With 4-2 Win Over the Devils
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/20/12 at 08:48 AM ET
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While the first three seconds of the hockey game between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils provided a lot of theatrics, it all ended up meaning very little for the rest of the game as the Rangers went onto to clinch a playoff spot by beating the Devils by a score of 4-2.
For the first since the 2005-06 season, the Blueshirts managed to clinch a playoff spot with a few weeks to go in the season. While the team will now play for seeding, all that matters is that they have advanced to hockey’s “second season” and will have the chance to play for hockey’s Holy Grail come April.
The game may have not been pretty for either squad but in the end, the Rangers were able to get the job done with timely goal scoring. Brandon Dubinsky got the team going just over a minute after the three fights in the beginning of the first period to give the team a 1-0 lead.
Defenseman Dan Girardi scored 33 seconds into the second period to put the Rangers’ up 2-0. While the Devils would get one back to cut the lead to 2-1, Blueshirts’ forward Mats Zuccarello would put one in on the power play to give the team a 3-1 lead.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
Blueshirts Overpowered by the Penguins in 5-2 loss
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/12 at 09:54 PM ET
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Going into the game without starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, defenseman Michael Del Zotto and team captain Ryan Callahan, one knew tonight’s game against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden was going to be tough for the New York Rangers.
It was certainly tough for the Blueshirts as the team lost by a score of 5-2. The club did not have the depth to match what the Penguins were throwing out on the ice and unfortunately, it hurt them in the end.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain and arguably the best hockey player in the world, Sidney Crosby, had himself a solid first game back. Crosby picked-up an assist, was a +3 and had 16:00 minutes of ice time. He was also smart enough not to put himself into dangerous areas as to avoid getting hit too hard or being too vulnerable.
The Rangers were not terrible tonight but they certainly were not great. Defensive lapses early on in the second period really hurt the club as the Penguins were able to score two goals with the first 2:30 of the frame to go up by a score of 3-1.
The Blueshirts were able to cut the lead to 3-2 on a goal by Marian Gaborik but that would be the last time the team would find the back of the net tonight.
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Tags: and+Buffalo+Sabres., Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Colorado+Avalanche, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby,
One to Remember?/UPDATE: Biron to Start Tonight for Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/12 at 01:19 PM ET
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UPDATE: According to Dave Lozo at NHL.com, Rangers’ back-up netminder Martin Biron will be starting tonight against Crosby and the Penguins as Henrik Lundqvist is still recovering from the flu.
“I was hoping to play tonight, but being off the ice for three days, I had a feeling it might be tough to be game-ready right away,” said Lundqvist, who took part in the team’s morning practice but won’t dress for the game. “There’s no health issue. It’s just sitting at home doing nothing. Just laying in bed for two days doesn’t really help.”
FROM EARLIER
This is what many hockey folks are wondering when it comes to tonight’s tilt between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.
For starters, it is both a divisional- and conference- battle. The Blueshirts currently hold a six point lead over the Penguins as the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
On the other side, the Penguins have won nine straight games. Their team is getting contributions up and down the lineup and have done so without their team captain and arguably the best player in the world today, Sidney Crosby.
That brings us to our next point. Tonight’s tilt marks the return of No.87 to the Penguins’ lineup. Rangers’ fans have made it well known how they feel about Crosby and as such, will more than likely be all over him throughout tonight’s game.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+york+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
UPDATE: Biron to start tonight/Focus on the Now
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/13/12 at 04:34 PM ET
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UPDATE: According to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants, New York Rangers’ back-up goaltender Martin Biron will start tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes while starter Henrik Lundqvist is out with the flu.
From Earlier
This is what the New York Rangers need to do when it comes to tonight’s game with the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden.
It would be very easy for the Blueshirts to simply forget about tonight and turn their attention to Thursday night’s tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With Sidney Crosby announcing that he will definitely be in the lineup for that game, it would be even easier to do so.
With that said, the team must continue to take things one game at a time. The Rangers are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders on Sunday night and hopefully, will use it as a start of another winning streak.
In order to get back on the winning track, Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist needs to find the consistency that has made the league’s top goaltender this year. Lundqvist has allowed 13 goals in his last four games, something that I am sure lundqvist will try and remedy quickly.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+york+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
A Win is a Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/12/12 at 09:03 AM ET
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That is exactly what can be said of last night’s 4-3 overtime win by the New York Rangers over the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden.
While the Rangers were/are on top of both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, last night’s game was one that the Rangers needed to get two points in order to distance themselves from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who visit the Rangers and MSG on Thursday. The team was able to do so by getting big performances from their two big offensive players in Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik.
Richards had three points last night on two goals (his 20th and 21st of the season) and an assist. His goals are the perfect example of what happens when you put the puck on net and what he can do with the puck.
Gaborik’s 33rd goal of the season came when the Rangers needed it the most and that was in overtime. It was his seventh game winning goal of the season and one that helped the Blueshirts get back on the winning track.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
A Must Win for the Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/11/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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This is exactly what tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden between the New York York Rangers and New York Islanders is for the Blueshirts.
For the first time this season, the Rangers are in the midst of a three game losing streak in regulation. This past week, the Blueshirts lost to the New Jersey Devils (4-1), Ottawa Senators (4-1) and Chicago Blackhawks.
Because of the losing streak, the Rangers are just four points up on the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team they will meet on Thursday at MSG. If the Rangers continue to play they are playing right now, Thursday night’s tilt with the Penguins could end up meaning even more than it already does.
However, it is time for the team to focus on tonight’s meeting with the Islanders. It will be the last meeting between the two clubs with the Rangers holding the edge in the season series at 3-1-1.
They may not be in a playoff spot but the Islanders are definitely competing every night. They work hard, they forecheck and they make life extremely tough for opponents, something the Blueshirts will have to deal with tonight.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chicago+Blackhawks, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Big Game at The Mad House on Madison
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/09/12 at 02:10 PM ET
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With the New York Rangers struggling to find the consistency that made them so successful for much of the season, tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks will be a big test for the Blueshirts.
In last night’s 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, the team looked out-of-sync in all areas of the game. This also happened to be the case in the team’s 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.
For the Rangers, this is coming at a bad time as both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference playoff race is heating up. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who will have Sidney Crosby returning in the very near future, are now just 6 points behind the Blueshirts while the Philadelphia Flyers are 8 points behind thanks to the fine play of their netminder Ilya Bryzgalov (finally, eh?).
The team needs to get back to forechecking better, something that Rangers’ forward Marian Gaborik mentioned to team beat writer Andrew Gross of The Record and Ranger Rants.
“I think so,” he said. “The support needs to be there. We have to create more forechecking in the zone. Also, we have to try to chip pucks in and create more odd-man situations.”
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Bryzgalov, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Original+Six, Ottawa+Senators, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby, United+Center,
What is Going on with Biron and the Blueshirts?
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/08/12 at 10:02 PM ET
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This is something that has to be asked after the New York Rangers lost to the Ottawa Senators tonight by a score of 4-1 .
Tonight, Rangers’ back-up goaltender Martin Biron allowed three goals, two on four shots in the first period, and did not look too comfortable out there. While I said earlier that it was smart to start Biron against the Senators tonight rather than the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, I now wonder why the team did not start Henrik Lundqvist in tonight’s inter-conference game and have Biron go in the non-conference game.
Anyways, in his last six games, Biron has lost two games in regulation, lost two games in overtime and has allowed 18 goals. While he did manage to win two games in this six game span (Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning), he has looked shaky, allowed a few soft goals and has lost games that the Rangers probably could have won with Lundqvist between the pipes.
This is not to take anything away from what Biron has accomplished this season. He is 11-4-2 and has pretty decent stats for a back-up goaltender in the NHL. With that said, it would be nice if he could play a bit better so that may be team head coach John Tortorella can have the option of resting Lundqvist a few more games before the team enters the postseason.
While Biron was not great against the Senators tonight, neither was the rest of the Rangers’ hockey club. Ryan Callahan, who scored his 26th goal of the season tonight in the first period, played well as did Artem Anisimov. Unfortunately for the Rangers, no one else on the team followed suit.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chicago+Blackhawks, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Biron to Start Tonight/Other line-up Updates
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/08/12 at 02:11 PM ET
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According to Andrew Gross, the New York Rangers’ beat writer/blogger for The Record and Ranger Rants blog, the Blueshirts have elected to go with Martin Biron in goal tonight to face the Ottawa Senators.
This sounds like the right decision considering that the Rangers take on the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night. Remember, the Blackhawks scorched Biron and the Rangers in their previous meeting by a score of 4-2 so putting starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist in sounds like the right thing to do.
Gross also said that Rangers’ forward Brandon Dubinsky will not be in the lineup tonight due to sinus issues he is experiencing that could impact his skating. Dubinsky also said he still has some pain in his hand from the fight he had with New Jersey Devils’ forward David Clarkson on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center:
Brandon Dubinsky will not be in the lineup tonight against the Senators as he tells the media he is still having sinus issues that could affect his skating. Dubinsky said his hand hurts as well after fighting the Devils’ Ryan Carter on Tuesday. Dubinsky was holding nasal spray and also appeared to have stitches on his nose. Considering the Rangers do not have a morning skate tomorrow in Chicago, it’s very likely he’ll also miss the Blackhawks’ game.
Dubinsky also reported he’s been having trouble sleeping as a result of his injured nose.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Brandon+Dubinsky, Chicago+Blackhawks, David+Clarkson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ranger+Rants, The+Record,
Going Over the Hudson
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/06/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers will be doing tonight as the travel across the Hudson River to take on the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.
These two clubs last met last Monday at Madison Square Garden, where the Blueshirts took care of business and shutout the Devils by a 2-0 score. It was not the most exciting game as there was only 28 combined shots.
The Blueshirts are coming off a big 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon at MSG. The team continues to get goal scoring from Marian Gaborik (32 goals on the season) and excellent goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, both of which have contributed greatly to the Rangers’ success this season.
Going forward, those two will have to continue to play better but others must step up and contribute a bit more. There is no doubt that Brad Richards can create scoring chances and setup teammates (27 assists).
With that said, it would be nice to see him do that on a more consistent basis as well as putting the puck in the net a bit more. Yes, Richards has 18 goals and yes, 7 of them have been game winners but this team needs to see a bit more goals from him if they want to have success in the postseason.
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Tags: Anders+Nilsson, Boston+Bruins, Brad+Ricahrds, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, Madison+Square+Garden, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Prudential+Center,
Rangers Win Wild One Against Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/04/12 at 03:42 PM ET
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Going into the afternoon tilt, one probably thought it was going to be a defensive battle for 60 minutes.
Instead, 7 goals were scored with the New York Rangers coming out on top over the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-3. It was not easy but the Rangers did what they had to do to win.
For starters, the team was able to get two big ones in the first period on goals by Ruslan Fedotenko and Carl Hagelin. The goals came 1:10 apart as the team took advantage of a somewhat tired Bruins hockey club coming off a 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders yesterday afternoon at the TD Garden.
However, Bruins’ head coach Claude Julien called a timeout after the second Blueshirts’ goal and did not say a word. Sometimes, silence really is golden.
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Tags: Benoit+Pouliot, Boston+Bruins, Carl+Hagelin, Claude+Julien, Dennis+Seidenberg, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jordan+Caron, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Tim+Thomas,
Big Game on Tap for Blueshirts Against The Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/04/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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That is the case this afternoon for the New York Rangers as they get set to take on the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night in Tampa. The Rangers were able to come away with a point because Brandon Dubinsky scored the game-tying goal with 3:27 to play in the third period.
Up until that goal, it had been an up and down performance for the Blueshirts. They were able to generate several good scoring opportunities, get goals from the likes of Artem Anisimov, Marian Gaborik and Dubinsky while also getting a solid game from Henrik Lundqvist (27 saves) on his birthday.
With that said, the team was a bit inconsistent defensively and allowed the Lightning to get into the slot way too often and force the puck in on Lundqvist. In fact, the Rangers were outshot by a 13-3 margin in the opening period.
This afternoon against the Bruins, the Rangers will go up against a much bigger team with grittier forwards. The Bruins like to throw pucks on the net from anywhere and crash for rebounds, something that the Blueshirts need to try and prevent this afternoon.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Three In a Row for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/01/12 at 09:47 PM ET
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With starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist given the night off, and team captain Ryan Callahan, out day-to-day with a bruised foot, back-up goaltender Martin Biron needed to give the New York Rangers a strong start against the Carolina Hurricanes, especially considering the way he had played in his last few starts.
As it turned out, Biron came up big for the Blueshirts in a 3-2 victory in Carolina. After allowing the Hurricanes’ only goal of the game in the second period, Biron really shut the door and played a solid game in making 21 saves.
For Biron, it was his 11th win of the season. In 17 games, Biron is now 11-3-2 and continues to show team head coach John Tortorella that it is okay to rest Lundqvist.
The team also got a solid performance out of the Marian Gaborik, Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov line. Gaborik picked-up his 30th goal of the season as well as an assist for points 54 and 55 on the season. Stepan also had a strong game in adding two assists while Anisimov scored his 12th goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1 in the second period.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Carolina+Hurricanes, Daniel+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, Steven+Stamkos, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Going to Carolina
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/01/12 at 10:39 AM ET
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The New York Rangers will be in Raleigh tonight to take on the Carolina Hurricanes as the team looks to extend its winning streak to three games.
The Blueshirts are coming off a 2-0 shutout win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The team allowed just 13 shots in Henrik Lundqvist’s eighth shutout of the season, which is just two more than their lowest recorded total on home ice back in 1981 against the Calgary Flames when they only allowed 11 shots.
It will be important for the team to play a full 60-minutes as things do not get any easier for the Blueshirts heading into the stretch. They take on the Hurricanes tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night and the Boston Bruins at MSG on Sunday afternoon.
Luckily for the Blueshirts, this team has played as a cohesive unit all season long. They battle for each other, they stick up for each other, they play together as a team and because of this, have been one of the league’s top teams all year.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Calgary+Flames, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Not the Most Exciting But a Win Is A Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/28/12 at 10:14 AM ET
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This is exactly what can be said of last night’s 2-0 shutout by the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden.
The team’s combined for just 28 shots on goal (yes, you read that right) with only two finding the back of the net. Luckily, it was the Blueshirts that found the back of the net on goals by Carl Hagelin and Ryan Callahan.
Callahan and Hagelin have become quite the dynamic duo for the Rangers since being put on the same line. They both hustle, they both forecheck, they both go hard to the net and they both have the offensive ability to create offense.
With his goal last night, Callahan now has 25 on the season. While Callahan was a scorer in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Guelph Storm, no one was quite sure what he would be able at the NHL level. Now, it looks like he may be able to crack the 30-goal mark.
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Tags: Carl+Hagelin, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Kovalchuk, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Was This Coming?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/21/12 at 09:39 PM ET
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This is what many New York Rangers’ fans are probably wondering about after watching the Blueshirts get shutout by the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight by a score of 2-0.
The club’s offense took 27 shots, all of which were turned away with relative ease by Penguins’ netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. The Rangers made it easy for Fleury by shooting directly into him and not getting to the real scoring areas in order to put the puck in the net.
The score could have been much worse if not for the play of Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist turned in another strong performance for his hockey club in turning away 29 of 31 Penguins’ shots. Lundqvist was especially good in the first period in stopping all 11 Penguins’ shots as the Rangers came out flat.
The truth of the matter is that this was more than likely coming for the Rangers. They were terrible against the Chicago Blackhawks last Thursday night, barely beat the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night and were shutout tonight in Pittsburgh.
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc-Andre+Fleury, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
